Distance
by Lady Bonbones
Summary: Ed is back in his world but the wrong time A hundred years ahead in the future doesn't sound so bad until you find that more homunculi are now present While trying to get back to his time secretly Ed joins the ranks of the Alchemy department. Chap14: Real
1. Open Gate

Declaimer: I do not own FMA in any way or form.

Setting: This is a mixture of the Manga and the first Anime; it may include spoilers to those who had not read or seen them, spoilers ahead. At the end of the FMA movie Alphonse does not follow Edward into the world that cannot use alchemy. Ed takes the big gate down but not without taking some of its components in secret to try invent a smaller one and go back to his world. The country of Xing will appear as some of the characters that only appear on the Manga. Homunculi will have two origins; intent of human transmutation and giving a human a philosopher stone so as well there are more than one way to kill them.

Rating: Mature, will contain adult scenes, language and (I am not sure yet) acid lemons.

NL: Ed is about 20 years old if you wonder.

Chapter 1: Open Gate

Edward Elric stood on the basement he rented as his living place. It had been two years since he had last since his little brother. He hoped that he had the answer this time. He looked at the metal gate he had created. He walked to the control panel and turned the power on. He heard the vibration of the electricity running through the metal. It reminded him of the alchemy of his world. He did not want to get his hopes up. He had tried before resulting on a great shut down on the whole area.

'Here we go' he said activating the gate. The lights started to flicker "No!" he started to turn the controls "it will work this time!"

---------------------------

"Brother?" she looked at the window of her brother's room. It took her a moment to realize what he was trying to do "Fuck!" she ran into the mansion. She saw no servants. She hoped he was not using them as sacrifices. Her automail shook on fear; it was fine that he did this to her but to someone completely unrelated to them! It was not fair. She reached his room and kicked the door open before pointing at where her brother was with a gun. He was facing the gate of truth. She looked around for the sacrifice. She hoped it was not too late. The gate started to open. She saw something looking at her, wanting the rest of her body. She shot at the open gate. She could not let one of those things escape into their world.

"Its done!" her brother shouted before jumping into the gate.

"ACE!" she shouted. She saw one of those hands reach for her brother. She shot it.

"There is no stopping it, good bye Alice!" the gate closed.

"No!" she cried falling to her knees. The gate remained before her. She marched to it and punched it. her whole arm shook "shit!" she screamed clapping her hands and then placing them on the gate "give me my brother back!" then she heard a scream.

-----------------------------

"Alphonse, I am sorry," said Ed falling to his knees. The gate did not open and the lights had gone out. He could hear the shouts of many people "back to the drawing board" he said to himself standing.

He lit a candle before spotting some of his flasks broken. He frowned before looking around and spotting a bullet on the floor. He had only seen this kind in one place, or better say world. He smiled before he turned around and ran to the gate. He hoped that whoever was on the other side was friendly. He jumped just after he activated the destruction device. Everything would be destroyed in a moderate fashion. No one would be able to follow him. He entered the gate. His body raced once he spotted the watching darkness. It was dragging someone but he knew it was too late. He saw the other end of the gate but it was closed. He pounded on it.

"Open up!" he shouted.

On the other side, Alice tried again. She believed her brother had changed his mind. The gate started to open.

"Brother!" she had tears on her eyes but even through those tears, she could see it was not her brother. A light came from inside the gate. She looked into it and saw her brother Ace standing next to the woman he had tried to bring back before. He smiled at her before everything lost sense.

Ed looked at the woman before him. He was sure his little brother did not have small breasts 'But I am back!' he thought happily before losing consciousness.

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"Man" Alice woke up rubbing her head. She looked around her brother's room before spotting an arm. She hung her head and let a few tears spill before going to the phone on the room "hello father" she said "brother was taken into the gate" she heard a short reply "okay" then she hung up. She threw her head back before gaining composure. She examined the room not finding anything out of normal for exception of the arm that her brother left. She sighed wondering if she had imagined the guy that came from the gate. There was no one else around.

"M'am we are here" said the authorities entering the room.

"Thanks take care of it," said Alice before leaving. As she left the gates, she spotted the servants coming back. Her brother had sent them on a short vacation because of the holidays.

"Lady Alice" said a maid "is everything alright?" she said after spotting the cars of the authorities.

"I am afraid not" said Alice but did not stop to give details. She wanted to get back home to rest. She hurried to her car when she felt a presence.

"Hey" a metal hand landed on her shoulder.

------------------------------------

Ed woke up and spotted the lady lying not too far from him.

'I am back' he thought standing. He looked around before spotting the arm 'there will be a lot to explain' he thought before going for the window. He looked back at the lady on the ground. She reminded him of someone, maybe a guy since she was almost flat. He clapped his hands and transmuted a slide going down. He slid down before returning the wall back to normal. He looked around looking for an exit before hearing a growl. He turned around before spotting a group of mutts. They were the same kind lieutenant Hawkeye had but bigger and angrier.

"Nice doggies" he said before one barked, "What kind of welcoming is this!" he shouted as he ran before reaching a surrounding wall and jumping over it. He landed on the sidewalk. He was glad there was no one around 'Now time to find Alphonse' he started to walk. He reached the end of the street before looking at the signs. The streets did not seem familiar.

"What's with those clothes?" some kids on the opposite corner said. Ed glared at them. He turned around and tried the other side of the street. As he passed the mansion, again he saw some new cars park.

'They have been busy' he thought not remembering that kind of car. He found again that he did not know where to go. He was not even sure in which city he was. He sighed before going back to the mansion and spotting the same lady that had helped him open the gate. He had to give it a shot. She was an alchemist that much he could tell. He placed a hand on her shoulder before she graved his arm and flipped him over knocking him out.

"Oh my" she said before hanging her head on shame 'I guess I am still nervous' she looked at the guy. The same guy had come from the gate. She looked around before dragging him to her car. He was heavy. By the feeling on one of his shoulders, she could tell he had automail. She wanted to know who he was. He could be even a lawbreaker; he might have been trapped on the gate after trying human transmutation.

5

Ed woke up for the second time that day. He was lying in bed. He sat before rubbing his head. That girl needed a psychologist. She just could not go around hurting people like that.

"You are up!" she said from the door.

"No thanks to you" he said before she gave him a nervous look. She had brown golden eyes, short black hair, and light skin.

"I am sorry about that," she said giving him a tray with food "after what happened, I guess homunculi were next on my mind"

"You know about them?" Ed asked

"Who doesn't?" she said with a small laugh 'he must be one of those secluded guys' she thought.

'I guess the truth got out' Ed thought.

"I am Alice and you are?" she said sitting on a chair opposite from him.

"Edward Elrick, you might have heard of me," he said with a smile.

Alice broke into a laugh "right, right, the full metal alchemists" she controlled her laughter when she saw his upset expression "sorry" 'a psycho then' she thought, "I will take you to the Alchemy department. They should be able to help you there"

"Are you making fun of me?" he asked.

"Of course not, eat and then we go," she said leaving the room

Ed followed into a living after finishing eating before spotting a large window that gave him a complete view of the city.

"What a..." he graved a sofa in fear of falling. He was looking from very tall building. He could barely see the lines that made up the streets below.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "are you afraid of heights?"

"No... Not really" he said before following her into a hall and into an elevator. They went down before arriving to a parking. Ed was confused. Everything was so different. He got on the car before she started driving. Once reaching the main street, she picked up speed. They were going fast.

Alice felt his nervousness. She wondered if he was a farm boy or something like that to be amazed so much by the city.

"So Ed, you know alchemy, right?" she asked

He nodded still looking out the window. Everything passed in a flash.

"Have you applied to the Alchemy department?" she asked

"I think" 'does she mean the military?' he said

"Did you hit your head or something?" the possibility jumped into her mind.

"You mean after you attacked me," he said before she laughed.

"Yeah, maybe it's my fault you are so nervous. I promise I won't attack you again," she said before she entered a parking. He looked at another tall building with a large circular stone with the symbol of Amestris and alchemy. It looked like a big alchemist pocket watch. They parked and went inside.

"Alice! Nice to see you again!" people started to greet her. Ed wondered if she knew everyone there. They went to the receptionist.

"Is my father here?" she asked.

"He is, but I am not sure if you should..." but Alice was already walking away to an elevator.

"Are you sure of this?" he asked her.

"Of course, after my brother's disappearance he needs me there," said Alice.

"Oh I am sorry about that," said Ed

"Don't worry," she said with a smile "not the first time he tried it "she said taking off her gloves. She had two automail arms "I am glad he didn't try to use someone again to sacrifice"

"I see," said Ed looking at his own hand.

The elevator opened on the last floor.

"Oh Alice!" a man threw himself on her.

"Get off me!" she screamed kicking the guy.

"Mustang?" Ed asked to the man with short black hair and black eyes.

"Yes? Do I know you?" but he was older, just enough to be Alice's father.

"Father, this man came out of the gate after brother was pulled in. he is delusional," said Alice "is better to restrain him"

"What!" Ed screamed.

"I see," said the old looking mustang.

"What you mean by delusional!" said Ed

"What do I know? You called yourself Edward Elric," she laughed before he saw the similarity between her and old Mustang. Those eyes though different color held the same feeling.

"He does have the characteristics of an Elric," said her father "he could be a distant relative"

"Wait! Where is Roy Mustang, he should be able to clear this" said Ed before both looked confused.

"Boy you better sit down" said the old Mustang. They walked into a large office.

"Roy Mustang" behind the desk stood a large portrait of the 'bastard' as Ed liked to think of him.

"First of all I am Robert Mustang and I take you already met my daughter Alice" said the old Mustang "I have just recently lost my son Ace and for what my daughter told me before you came out from the same accident"

"I was trapped in another world; it's been two years since last that I left this world"

"I heard Edward Elric disappeared but to where only the Elric family knows" said Robert

"Father you can't really believe him, do you?" said Alice.

"He doesn't sound delusional to me Alice. He might actually be The Edward Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist"

Alice sighed.

"And about Alchemy, we need you back on the force Alice" said Robert

"No way" she said shaking her head.

"Your brother is no longer around. I cannot even try to reform him into a good man anymore. The Mustang family has fallen to your shoulders," said her father.

"What about Charlie?" she asked.

"He is thirteen years old Alice, if he wishes to take your place it would be later on but for now it's all about you"

"I shouldn't have come here," said Alice.

"But I am glad you did since we will be attacked soon" said Robert walking to the window.

"Again?" she asked.

"Are we in war" asked Ed hoping it was not like that.

"We have been for the last hundred years" said Alice "since you were last seen and people learned they could try bring people back"

"Homunculi?" Ed asked.

"Exactly" said Robert "we got information that they would be attacking headquarters today"

There was an explosion below.

"That better had not been my car," said Alice running to the window.

"Your story would be more believable if you helped us Mr. Elric," said Robert.

"Before that, just tell me how many years have I been gone," said Ed understanding this new reality.

"I would say about a hundred years," said Robert with a calm smile.

"They are here" said Alice looking down "see ya" she jumped.

"Hey!" Ed jumped to see her falling.

"Well, join her!" said Robert pushing Ed off the window.


	2. To the Frying Pan

_NL: I don't own FMA, please review_

Chapter 2: To the Frying Pan

_Diary of Alice Mustang_

_As an alchemist in this country, I have chosen to fight homunculi. Not a bad job, well paid and always interesting. Homunculi are mistakes of men who try to gain more power or do not wish to face the death of those they loved. A homunculi will have very like appearance of those they intended to bring back but usually and more than not they have very pallid skin, odd colored eyes with slits for pupils, and dark hair as well as intriguing marks on their bodies. _

_Homunculi are strong, very strong most of the time. Their bodies regenerate in instants if you do not know how to truly harm them. They are weakened when you use alchemy on their flesh or they are trapped on an alchemy circle. As for the psyche, as humans they are individuals._

"Ahhh!" Ed cried as he fell from the large building "All Mustangs are the freaking same!"

"Hey!" shouted Alice opening her jacket as a parachute to level with him.

"You tricked me!" he shouted

"Like I care," she said before clapping her hands and placing them on the building creating a large pipe that twisted all the way down. She entered it and Ed followed her. With the so many turns their falling speed decreased until they reached the ground safely "why are you following me?" she asked

"Your father pushed me off the window! I had no other choice," he shouted.

"Oh" she said simply before taking off.

"Don't just say 'oh' and then leave!" he ran after her into the car parking before spotting a large blob that started to emerge from the ground. They both stopped.

"Look how is done!" she said before she clapped her hands while she held a gun. It transmuted into her hand with the opening on her palm. She clapped again before her palm shot a bullet that opened and spread creating a transmutation circle made of cracking energy. It landed on the blob that had started to take the form of a human. Ed spotted the Ouroboros _*(the snake like mark Homunculi have) _as the form shook finally becoming a man that screamed.

"Show me what you can do," she said turning around. Her eyes were cold and controlled. She saw this often enough but this was also a challenge.

"Like I care what a Mustang says or thinks of me," he said clapping his hands before creating a blade out of his arm. He ran all speed towards the Homunculus before staving its heart.

"What a cheap shot" it said before it crumbled to dust. A small stone shone from the depts. Alice took it and placed it on her pocket.

"Not bad, how many have you killed?" she asked.

"One or two before this" he said

She gave a soft laugh "even if you were the real Edward Elric you still are no where near my level"

'Flat bitch' he thought.

"Alice!!!" they saw several uniformed men come to them. They all wore black pants and red jackets with the Alchemist sign of the country on badges where their hearts were.

"Is it true you are back on the force?" one asked.

"Well, it's not for sure...." she was saying

"Your father has placed you as the leader of this mission" said another.

"Great" she said as the earth shook.

"I think there are about twenty" said one woman touching the ground "and ten more coming from the air"

"Ed you stay with me as well as Jonny and Gisela" said Alice.

"Thanks for not forgetting us" said a guy with short spiky blond hair and blue eyes.

"We have something to talk about after this," said Alice.

A woman of tanned skin and red eyes stepped forwards "don't think this changes my opinion about you, Mustang"

"Everyone else get with your partners and remember; transmute, attack and kill!" shouted Alice before the ground under them exploded.

Ed landed on the top of a car. As he sat up, he watched the battle already going on. He had only to deal with seven of them back in his time. This time there were more than he alone could hope to defeat. Some were gigantic, others changed form, others used the elements, and others were the elements. Lastly, some were of great skill. The sign that Dr. Marco had created to weaken homunculi, he recognized as it was being used. The low philosopher stones were being weakened or destroyed weakening the homunculi for the final blow.

Ed jumped in time evading a great fist. He concentrated on that same sign and weakened the homunculi before cutting across its skull all the way to the chest. It fell back before disintegrating leaving a small stone behind.

'How many humans transmutations, how many people have been sacrificed...' he looked at the alchemists who fought with no visible fear. They were used to this just as Alice "what's wrong with this time?"

"Lady Alice, there's your friend!" said Jonny drawing at incredible speed a transmutation circle on the enemies back and then activating it before using a long pipe as a fighting rod.

"He is not my friend!" she shouted. She had wondered where he had gone. She watched him fight for a second. He had a lot of skill.

"Then your boyfriend!" shouted Gisela as she placed a palm on a head and made it explode, she continued this with the rest of the body before catching its philosopher stone on a piece of paper that had the destruction sign on it. It evaporated.

"I only have eyes for you" said Alice close to Gisela's ear out of no where.

"Ah!" Gisela jumped and held to a fighting Jonny.

"Its no time for that Alice" said Jonny with a smile.

"Ooo....kay" said Alice before shooting another smile at Gisela.

"Weird woman" said Gisela before continuing.

"I had enough of this!!!" they all heard Ed shout before a large cannon came off the earth.

"What a hell is that?" asked Gisela.

"Neanderthal" said Alice before seeing the cannon was loaded with spears. They all shot upwards. The end of the spears exploded letting nets shaped as transmutations wrap the homunculi. They fell at top of the enemy just to be transmuted into nothing by the other alchemists.

"I think he got your style down" said Jonny.

"Oh yeah!" shouted Alice before transmuting the gun out of her arm and then drawing two blades out of her arms.

"He is kind of cute" said Gisela before a vein popped on Alice forehead.

"Stupid blond" said Alice before she raced slashing, cutting, and dismembering the remaining enemies.

"You are so mean" said Jonny seeing the fight was just about done.

"She is so energetic" said Robert Mustang joining them.

"Commissioner" both said with respect.

"I am sorry to hear about your son, Sir Mustang, Sir," said Jonny.

"Don't worry Mr. Elric," said Robert putting on a pair of white gloves "everyone please, move aside!" he shouted with a smile before they all ran as far as they could.

"No way!" shouted Ed as he was dragged by Alice.

There was a large explosion before a piece of concrete hit him on the head. He went unconscious again.

1.

Ed woke up with gentle blue eyes looking at him.

'Winry' he reached for the face.

"You okay?" asked a very masculine voice.

"AH!" Ed jumped back to realize it was that guy Jonny.

"I think he is your type," said Alice standing on a corner of her father's office.

"Shut up!" shouted Ed. He looked around. It was they and old Mustang.

"So what you think Mr. Elric?" asked Robert.

"I..." Ed was going to call them insane.

"I have seen his portrait all my life, I knew he looked familiar" said Jonny "though I thought he was suppose to be shorter"

"WE ALL HAVE TO GROW!" He shouted "AND DON'T CALL ME A SPECK OF A SHRIMP!"

"So it is him," said Alice a little impressed.

"So that's all I needed to do to convince you?" said Ed.

She smiled.

"What should we do about this?" thought Mustang out loud.

"You don't have to do anything," said Ed "I will find my way back to my time as I did out of that universe"

"We knew of the other world Mr. Full Metal Alchemist and we know how to reach it but it's a law that it will not be tried. On the other hand, Time travel is very different. You can't change it," said Jonny

"According to who?" asked Ed.

"Your brother, my ancestor Alphonse Elric" said Jonny

"What?" asked Ed.

"Alphonse Elric died forty years ago but all the Elric are well instructed into his research. He himself told me" said Robert "once he aged too far he tried to do the same as you are thinking but found that it was not possible without creating great consequences"

"Alphonse...what happened to him?" Ed asked.

"He grew, became part of the new democracy, contributed to creating the Alchemy National Department and continued his research and died at about the age of 80" said Alice.

"I was only ten years old" said Robert clearing away a tear "yet he was the kindest man I have ever known"

"That does sound like him" said Ed with a saddened smile "and Winry?"

"She married him and had five sons and one daughter whom they named Eduarda" said Alice with a great smile "she was quite small"

"More respect to my great nanny" said Jonny with a slap to the head to Alice.

"Al and Winry..." the air became polluted by a cloud of jealousy "Al and Winry..." he could not even start to imagine.

"Its late already, tomorrow we will have better thoughts about what to do" said Robert "feel free to stay with my daughter over night"

"What kind of father are you?" asked Ed.

"There is nothing for me to worry about" said Robert before he stepped aside showing a scared Gisela cowering in the corner.

"There you are" said Alice with a large perverted smile and glittering eyes.

"Eh..." Ed was out of words.

"Hey!" shouted Alice as Jonny hooked her arms. Gisela took the chance and ran away "I will find you my dearest!" she had a hungry smile

"I will not let you scar my partner" said Jonny before knocking her out before escaping as well.

"So she likes..." Ed was asking.

"And guys too but she doesn't trust them as much. She will keep a high guard around you," said Robert before graving her by her short hair and dragging her to the elevator.

2.

Ed woke up early at the sound of a door closing. He could barely believe _when_ he was standing.

"Can I come in?" asked Alice knocking the door of the guest room.

"Yeah" said Ed before she came in carrying some clothes.

"Today is my brother's funeral and I don't want to leave you alone for so long. My father sent you this" she placed the bundle on the bed "breakfast is ready"

"Thanks" said Ed wondering if she was sad. She acted just normal even though it was her brother's funeral.

After breakfast, they both changed. She more than him.

"What a?" now she had long hair.

"I just rearranged the cells of my hair and attached the one that I cut a few days ago, is much thinner now but it looks more adequate now that I have to carry the Mustang reputation," she said as they started to leave. On the car, she continued to speak "I have already contacted the Elric, Eduarda though old still has her mind intact so she will verify who you really are"

"I thought you already believed it was me" said Ed.

"It's not so much as me as to the rest of the world. You are seen as a hero and if it is known that you are back there might be people who will target you because they think you are a fake" said Alice

"So you want me to go out clean" said Ed.

"Correct, also because of Lady Winry, there is a large number of automail mechanics on the Elric family. You can barely make it with that arm and leg," Alice said with a smile.

"So you noticed" Ed said "in that other world things don't work the same"

"I won't ask, they are some of the best mechanics so they would do it gladly if they believe who you are"

"Then? I don't know what to do" Ed said feeling lost.

"You can join the ranks of the Alchemy Department" said Alice.

"What do they do?" Ed asked with caution

"Many things" said Alice "we have Alchemy academies even in other countries, we make sure that Alchemy is used correctly by the people such as not letting them use short cuts. It's prohibited to fix things with it"

"Really?" Ed guessed that could affect the economy

"We also hunt homunculi and other things of their sort" said Alice.

"It sounds fun," said Ed sarcastically.

"It is" said Alice smiling for the first time that day.

"Then why did you quit?" Ed asked.

"I entered the regular police force" said Alice "because I couldn't work with _him_ as an Alchemist"

Ed looked at her metal hands. He guessed it had to be odd to have a brother who tried to sacrifice you.

"I thought you didn't forgive such crimes," Ed said

"Father took the heat for him and kept him on house arrest" said Alice "and worked really hard to try make him take a good path. It turned out he was just faking and waiting for his chance to try again" she turned into the Mustang mansion. As they went in Ed could not help to look at the large painting of Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye together with a small child standing between them and a baby on Riza's arms.

"So she is your ancestor as well," said Ed with a smile

"C'mon" said Alice approaching the double stairs. They took several halls before arriving to her brother's room. She started to look around and collect things like pictures, books, and clothes. Ed did not ask and watched before they moved to another room where a coffin rested. There were servants around arranging for the good bye. Without caring, Alice opened it revealing a lonely arm. She placed all the things inside and closed it. She sat on a chair, so did him, and did not stand until the ceremony had ended.

At the cemetery, she stood next to her father. As they left the grounds on foot, several reporters surrounded the two Mustangs.

"Madam Mustang, what about your younger brother? Why wasn't he present?"

"No interviews" said Alice.

"Who else was related on your brother's intent...?"

"I said no interviews" that was Alice's only respond.

Once they reached her car, they drove off to another mansion.


	3. Upgrade

_Diary of Alice Mustang_

_I know a lot of people want to ask about my brother, they hold back but they will not for now. I am curious myself as of what he thought, specially about me. You can always try to place yourself in the place of others but there is a limit to that. I cannot know just how painful it will be for Edward Elric to be told that his love ones have died long time ago. He has struck me like a strong person but you never really know people. _

Chapter 3: Upgrade

"Nice to see you again Alice, I am sorry my old bones couldn't help me get to the funeral" said an old voice before Ed looked down. He gave a jump before turning pale.

"Gh... Ghost" he muttered.

Alice looked at him suspiciously, "this is lady Eduarda, your brother's last living child"

"Just call me Eda" she said.

"She looks just like grandma Pinako," said Ed.

"Mother told me about her, I guess is no surprise," said Eda, she even wore the same kind of glasses.

"So can you clear his identity?" asked Alice.

"Come inside and let's see what we can do," said Eda. On the wall, paintings and pictures of generations were placed. Ed stopped before one of the largest ones. It was his little brother but he looked just like their father for exception that his eyes were gentle like those of their mother. With him was Winry dressed as a lady and looking very motherly with five boys around them and a baby on her arms.

Eduarda smiled as she took his hand.

"Uncle Edward" she said "come" he did before he spotted the painting of a little blond girl that resembled Winry. They went into a large library where Eda opened a thick notebook on a desk.

"Dear brother, if you have made it back I have requested that this is read to you" read Eda "I married Winry and lived to honor your name and your efforts. I hope you are proud of me and forgive me for taking her as my wife but a woman can only last so long with a broken heart. The truth of proving who you are is the watch you carry with you, hopefully you still have it"

Ed brought his State Alchemist watch out.

"written inside there must be the same date that only you, Winry and I know and that our children know" read Eda before she opened the watch and saw 'Don't Forget October 3'

"The real thing" said Eda "though we must keep this in a low profile as much as possible"

"He has gone for a hundred years, how are we supposed to do that?" asked Alice.

"Just keep your mouth shut, his name is Edward, and his last name Elric" said Eda "I named my own son like that. He is just another Elric, one that has finally received the honor to use the title of Full Metal Alchemist"

Alice smiled before saying "we need help with his automail"

"Walter came back from Xing this morning and I told him of the situation, he will be more than glad," said Eda taking them to a small house at the backgrounds of the mansion. It was an automail workshop.

"Nice to meet you" said a man on his thirties "I am Walter Elric"

"Ed" he said wondering if they were all blond.

They sat on chairs for the costumers.

"I have been readying my great, great grandmother's notes on your automail. You still want something strong, light, and simple, right?" he asked.

"As close as you can get to her work" said Ed.

"No problem" said Walter "but we also have new options at this time" he said showing him a pair of long gloves colored as skin "they feel like skin as well"

Ed looked at Alice "if it comes to fighting I don't have time to remove them but most people with prosthetics wears them"

"I fine without them, thanks" said Ed before Walter started to work on his arm and leg.

Alice took the time and went to see the painting that Jonny had talked. Before this painting a familiar face stood.

"Irene" said Alice.

"My brother told me about him, is it really him?" said the young woman.

"Yeah" said Alice "Eda has proved it"

Alice looked at the painting of a younger Ed sitting by a window looking at his automail hand.

"I don't want him to stay here," said Irene "it will be too weird"

"No one said he would" said Alice in a simple tone "he is staying with me at the moment but if accepts to enter the Alchemy Department he will be able to afford his own place. Moreover, you better get over my brother, you weren't even in the funeral, and it's not Ed's fault that he did what he did"

"You were his sister and yet you don't even look sad," said Irene

"I got over him thirteen years ago" she said pointing at her "but I preferred to keep my distance as well, unlike you who couldn't forgive that he didn't even give you a second thought"

"So you are going back to the force?" she asked wanting to change the topic

"Yes" said Alice before a smile appeared on her face "I might get Ed and Jonny to be partners and keep Gisela for myself"

"You really are back," said Irene stepping back.

"She is just upset that she has such small breasts so she likes to bother other girls," said someone who graved Alice from behind and started to squish her breasts

"Kyaaa!" Alice jumped away before facing a tall blond "lecherous Lee!"

"Look who is talking" said Irene protecting her own breasts.

"So you want to be my partner again?" he asked

"No way" she said before running off

"I think she likes our great, great uncle," said Irene.

Lee started to laugh, "even if that was the case she would never admit it"

"What about you cousin, she doesn't seem to believe you" said Irene.

"I haven't given up yet," said Lee.

1.

After getting lost, a few times Alice made her way back,

"What about giving yours a tuning since you will be going back to the force" said Walter.

"I guess," said Alice taking seat. Jonny was Irene's younger brother and Walter was Lee's older brother. The Elric always confused her, all but Ed who was just a great mystery in her mind though the guy seemed pretty plain. She watched Ed play with the knives hidden on his leg and arm, for the rest it was pretty plain. Alice liked plain as well and with enough space to transmute other things into it, such as her gun.

"All done" he said before she stood up.

"Thank you for all" said Alice.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" asked Eda

"We still need to get Ed some clothes that won't make him stand out so much" said Alice.

"Alright, but make sure to visit soon" said Walter.

"Yes" said Ed.

As they left, she asked "how do you feel?"

"I have to admit he is as good as Winry" said Ed.

"He has taken care of my automail since I got it, he is one of the best in the country" said Alice before she took him shopping.

He got mostly black pants, black shirts.

"Thanks for all of these" said Ed

"Thank me with your first paycheck" she said looking at the almost empty wallet.

"I had the feeling you would say something like that" said Ed.

"Let's get something to eat" she said walking into a small café.

"So will you join the Alchemy force, you saw we don't mess around" said Alice

"To have another Mustang, after a hundred years, tell me what to do" Ed sighed, "I guess it could be worse"

Alice smiled before continuing with her lunch.

2/

"You will have to get your rank, is that alright?" asked Robert Mustang

"Will it take a long time?" asked Ed

"You are required to assist the Alchemy Academy for at least three months and that is if you raise ranks fast," said Robert.

"I only assisted for five months but three months is the minimum requirement," said Alice

"It won't be a problem," said Ed.

3

"Wow" said Ed looking at what used to be the military head quarters of central "brings memories back"

"I will be in that building," said Alice pointing at one. Since she had been out of duty for a few years, since her brother had started assisting their father, she had to be tested on some fields.

Ed nodded before going ahead. He was sure the teachers here would not be like his first one.

"A new cadet, we received the application earlier this week and the recommendation from your family Mr. Elric" said the secretary without emotion "follow me" After giving him a sleeping quarter they went on the long halls that used to hold offices before knocking on one.

"Come on in" said a male voice.

"Professor Armstrong" said the secretary but to Ed this man barely looked like an Armstrong. He was tan with dirty blond hair and black eyes; also, his physique was not the best.

"Oh yes Mr. Elric. Lady Eda Elric told me about you. Please feel welcome," said the teacher.

"I just wonder how much," said Ed.

"I leave him on your hands," said the secretary

"Please introduce yourself Mr. Elric"

Ed looked at the class. They were about his age, some younger "My name is Edward Elric, I am twenty years old and, I have been studying and practicing Alchemy since I was a child"

"Very good, please take seat" said Armstrong before continuing the lesson.

It was supposed to be an advanced class. Ed noticed that at once.

"Therefore human transmutation will always result on a wrong. Not only on the physical result but also ethically" finished the teacher

"I heard that Alphonse Elric actually accomplished..." one student said.

Ed started to laugh

"Please both restrain from such outbursts" said Armstrong.

"Sorry, I guess I never heard it as such. Ethically is wrong to create a human became only humans through their physical capability can do such and no one can be the same. Even if cloned there will be differences. Given a person a second life seems to lower the standards of what being alive means" but he had been brought back Al and for that, he had given himself up. He wondered in that weird equation, how much less was he worth.

"You have anything else to add" asked the teacher

"To get something you have to give something of equal value. To get one unique life back you have to give another unique life. Still the fact that this life that has been re-brought takes away a part of its identity. One can only truly die just once though is destined that one will go back to the earth and become one with it"

"Mr. Elric I was being sarcastic," said the teacher.

"Oh" said before scratching his head. The lesson continued and Ed found that he had already lived most of it. A bell rang.

"Please follow the others Mr. Elric, they will take you to your next class" said Armstrong erasing the board.

"Thanks" said Ed.

4

"Its that so" asked Alice

"He can't be taught, he already knows everything," said Armstrong.

"Not everything" said Alice "Erick, the philosophy of Alchemy was created by his brother based on what he saw of his older brother. We have developed new ideas that, he does not know"

"Still I can't help to feel I was a disappointment to him"

5

"Edward Elric, what a coincidence to have you with us starting today" said a blond woman.

"I am Irene Elric," she said with a smile "I guess we are distant relatives"

"I guess so," said Ed with a nervous smile.

Ed took seat

"The Elric brothers, whose father is unknown, grew with their mother Trisha Elric and learned Alchemy by readying books their father left. It is said they had such genius that the oldest one. Edward Elric became a State Alchemist after just turning twelve years old. Now there are many rumors as of why the younger brother wore a metal armor. Such as that, it was not inside but a soul attached to the metal. It is confirmed that the younger brother gained certain deformation because he and his brother intended human transmutation. This resulted on the reason why the oldest brother joined the military. He wished to create a mythical stone that even to this day many criminals try to accomplish but only leads them to death and the creation of more homunculi"

'Deformation? Are they protecting Al's honor or just diminishing the true pain that he had to suffer' Ed did not know how to feel at hearing such lie.

Alice was gone in one week and Ed not wanting to remain alone hearing about himself hurried with his exams and graduated in two months, the last month, which he was required, he used it to assist the teachers. On his last week, he met someone.

"You are going to the Alchemy department of hunters, right?" asked a boy with dark red hair and black eyes. Ed had to say he looked about twelve or thirteen.

"I don't know yet," said Ed. he had been given many options; researcher, technique developer, hunter, manager, teacher. Alice wanted him to join her at hunting but he was not so sure he wanted to look for those monsters. He had enough in the past and now he had certain liberty. In addition, he needed time to look for the way to get back to his time.

"Well, I can help you decide if you like," said the boy

'He is up to something' thought Ed "How?"

"There is a demonstration on fighting today, wanna come?" he asked.

"Why not" said Ed guessing he was being too paranoiac.


	4. Relive

_Diary of Edward Elric?_

_I will find a way to go back to my own time; I know there has to be a way. Alice...I feel bad hiding my true purpose for joining her little group. I am almost sure she would lock me up for intending forbidden Alchemy. We do not even know if time travel it is forbidden, it does sound like it though. Their cause is very noble but it is not me. I want a more peaceful life after all I have already gone through. I write this so that when we meet again I will not forget every detail_

Chapter 4: Relive

They went to the main yard where there was a large crowd. A car arrived to the front gates. Ed knew that car. Alice arrived with her hair once again been short but besides she was wearing an old style military uniform. Ed cracked a nervous smile. She looked almost like Roy Mustang; the only difference was the eyes. Oh and she had small breasts, Ed almost forgot.

"Hello kiddies!" she said with a smile "ready for the show?"

"Yes!" they shouted before Jonny stepped out of the car wearing what resembled Ed's past clothes. Even the red coat had the sign of the cross snake.

"What kind of show do you mean?" Ed asked but by then the boy was gone. A few minutes later teachers moved students back until they created a large circle around Alice and Jonny.

"Please thank lady Mustang and Mr. Elric for re-acting this controversial fight every year. The first official and true Alchemist Duel!" shouted Erick Armstrong.

All the students shouted their thanks. Alice only smiled as she placed a pair of white gloves. Ed knew them; he stood back wondering how capable she was of using them.

"It is nothing!" shouted Jonny before a rock hit the back of his head.

"Jonny?" Alice did not know what to do as they took him to the infirmary. Then she spotted Irene "please?"

"No" she said before she followed her brother into the infirmary.

"I guess we should suspend it then," said Erick as the students started to get inpatient.

"I will help!" someone shouted before Ed was pushed forwards.

"What a..." he looked around for the responsible.

"Are you out of your mind?" Alice whispered harshly.

"It wasn't me!" he shouted.

"Even so, we don't have any other option," said Alice as she smiled to the public "try to not show that you can use Alchemy without a circle. That would tell them you were involved in human transmutation. You having a metal arm and leg are already suspicious"

"Right" he said before activating the secret blade of his arm.

"Not bad boy! I am glad they teach this fight so well!" she said with a fake laugh.

"Ready, set, Go!" shouted Erick

Ed covered for the upcoming blasé of fire. Nothing, he looked at the smiling Alice. She was waving to the students.

"Are you going to take this seriously?" Ed asked.

"Oh yeah" she said before snapping her fingers creating a fire blast towards him.

Ed rolled over and charged "you are nothing compared to him" laughed Ed.

"It's that so" she said before snapping her fingers several times.

Ed laughed as he evaded every pillar of fire before jumping into the air.

"Don't overestimate a Mustang!" she said sending a ball of fire to him.

Ed spun as a torpedo engulfed on fire. Alice jumped out of the way. Ed stood up from the great crater. His shirt had burned out.

"Kya!" many of the female students cried.

"Show off" she said.

Ed saw he had torn her uniform's chest.

"Eh, maybe you would like to..." he did not have a chance to continue before she started snapped her fingers again "damn you!" he cried as he was blasted into the air. He landed among the students.

"Are you sure you want to be a hunter, next to her?" it was the same boy of dark red hair. He was looking down on Ed.

"Like someone like her intimidates me," said Ed. He stood up and ran back into the fight.

"I think that should be enough," said Alice feeling satisfied. All Mustangs were taught how to use the gloves besides developing their own skill.

"Not to me" said Ed charging. Alice sighed sending another blast, this created a smoke screen. Ed emerged and took grasp of both gloves before ripping them away "now it is," he said shoving them to cover the part of her chest that was exposed.

"There was no real winner on this battle," said Alice as he walked off.

"How dare you do that to sister!" the red headed boy landed a knee on his face.

"Gha!" Ed stumbled back before grasping the boy by the shirt.

"Charlie!" Alice shouted before hitting him on the head "you did this!"

"What if so! He was acting like a complete snob!" screamed Charlie "As if he was really smarter than sister"

"So this is your brother," said Ed letting him go.

"Half-brother" said Alice before turning around and facing the rest of the students "Thanks for welcoming us, have a good day!" then she dragged both to the infirmary where Jonny had gained consciousness.

"I feared to have to do that mockery fight with her, thanks Charlie," said Jonny

"He could have cracked your skull open" said Alice.

"This is your last week here, what have you decided to do Ed?" asked Irene who had served as his career advisor.

"I think I will join the hunters, I was never the kind to stay in one single place the whole day" said Ed.

Alice smiled while her brother frowned and then stomped off.

"That boy" said Irene

"Father pampers him too much," said Alice.

"And you ignore him" said Jonny "that makes him act like that"

"He is your last brother," said Ed "you should look after him"

"I already told him to stop wanting to be an alchemist. He would be safer but he was stubborn," said Alice.

"Alchemy is in your blood, you can't ask him something like that," said Irene.

Alice sighed before she sat "enough about him. Ed where will you be staying?"

"I thought to get an apartment," he said

"Oh" said Alice with a light smile.

"We were hoping you would stay at a large place we were going to rent together," said Jonny.

"That would be great," said Ed who after only living a short time with Alice had grown to like her and Jonny seemed like a good guy as well.

1

Ed placed his things on the cab and gave the driver the address. Since he arrived to that time he had gone with the flow of the new system. The government was run by several people and those people were chosen by the majority of the population. Central had grown many times its size to the point that it absorbed smaller cities. Ishvala and the descendants were part of their society. They were like any other people. Ed really liked how some things had changed. Education was free and available for whoever wanted. Health was not something the people worried too much. There was a small problem on pollution but he heard there were already alchemists working on how to clean it.

'You helped make this true Al' thought Ed as the cab stopped in a middle class neighborhood.

"Thanks" said Ed paying and then getting his things. It was a large building. Once reaching the adequate door, he knew that the others would be working. He reached under the carpet and got the key. He went inside. It was a big two-floor apartment. The kitchen, living room, two studies, library, and bathroom were on the first floor. He went to the second level. He counted seven doors, one of which had his name on it. Jonny and someone named Lee were at his sides. He went in finding most of the stuff he had already bought.

'I have to remember to pay them later' the Elric family had paid for almost everything. Even if they were relatives, he could not abuse.

He lay on bed. The next day he would have to report to the Alchemy department. He was bothered by one single thing in that time, and that was that there were too many homunculi. He understood that the population had an incredible growth and that Alchemy was practiced by more people, it resulted on more human transmutation intents but the numbers on his opinion were still too many.

2

"Wake up!" shouted Alice pulling the covers from him and making him fall to the ground.

"What's the big idea!" he shouted

"Breakfast is ready," she said closing the door behind her before the pillow hit it.

Ed scratched his head before feeling something odd. He stood up fast and looked at himself on the mirror. They cut his hair short!

"YOU WILL PAY!" he shouted stepping out before evading a bullet.

"Hurry or we will be late," said Alice

"It's better like that, men don't tend to use long hair in this time," said Jonny stepping out of his room.

"Still she could have asked me," said Ed

"That's not Alice's style," said Jonny

Ed did not want to wear the uniform. It would mean he was really going to work for the government and not seek anything at exchange from it. Still the threat of the homunculi fueled him. The black pants were based off the ones he used to wear as well as the platform boots. He could wear any shirt he wanted. Over it, he had to wear a dark red jacket with triangular neck and zipper running down his left bicep. He had pockets on the sides.

Ed rode on Alice's car

"Why seven rooms, and who is Lee?" he decided to ask

"The rooms I will explain later, and Lee is Jonny's cousin and Walter's younger brother. He is also an Alchemist," said Alice "he had to work all night but should be resting home soon enough"

"Just how many Elric are there?" he asked

"Your brother had six children, most of them had two or three children, and so did most of them"

"Seventy or eighty?" Ed asked with a nervous smile.

"Not all of them are Alchemists, only those who show gift for it or have the will. There are more automail mechanics," said Alice.

3

"So there is no problem?" asked Ed.

"Eda has friends everywhere, she is very trusted as well" said Robert

Ed knew they could not hide his reappearance and the world would have questions. Eda had arranged to keep him protected from the curious world. From now on he would be another Elric which casually was named Ed and had automail because of an accident when a child. It was not a lie, just not the whole truth.

"Now, here you go Alice," said her father handing her a small pile of folders "you have your own team, as I promised"

"For real!" shouted Jonny

"Team?" asked Ed.

"We work on pairs but the better ones belong to a team made of eight or more people," said Jonny "There are only five of them on central but now we are the sixth"

"The closer the team the better" said Alice "that's why we rented that big place, if an enemy tried to finish one of us the rest would be there to detect them right away"

"I have already sent you your first cases," said Robert

"Roger" said Alice before they left to a floor below.

"Gisele" said Jonny with a smile "so you knew also"

"Only you and Ed didn't know," said Gisela as she and Lee finished setting their quarters "who else did you choose for the team?"

"Sorry for being late" said Erick Armstrong entering with his own laptop

"You made it at least" said Alice before a cloud appeared on Armstrong's head.

"This won't be fun," said a young dark haired girl entering the room, she had tanned skin like Gisela and brown eyes, and she was the shortest in the room.

"Ta...Tanya!" cried Gisela

"Hey" she said raising a hand.

"Who is she?" asked Ed

"She is Gisela's childhood friend and her best protection against Alice," said Jonny "I never thought you would choose her"

"This is not about me," said Alice "I trying to create the best team and Tanya has the brain to help me run it smoothly"

"You just don't want to miss the action," said Lee.

"We are still missing one person," said Erick

"She will be here on the afternoon, she is transferring from the North" said Alice.

"You can't mean my dear older sister Olivia, right?" asked Erick.

"The same" said Alice

Erick's cloud became larger and darker.

"She will be working along side me, there is nothing to worry about" said Lee before smiling at Alice "all for you"

"You are pathetic," said Tanya before receiving a glare.

Ed sat on a chair as they continued to bicker.

"Of I forgot to give you this," said Alice handing him a circular badge that had the Alchemist sign official to the country "ALRIGHT PEOPLE LET'S GET TO WORK!"

"Roger" they all said.

Tanya and Erick connected their computers while the rest logged into their official accounts.

"We have fourteen cases," said Jonny.

"Alright" said Alice with smile

Ed had the feeling they were getting a lot.

"Jonny and I will take three of them on the north of the city," said Gisela

"There is not enough information on three, we have to place them on hold" said Erick

"Permission?" asked Tanya

"Describe" said Alice

"Two children disappeared. Blood found at the yard belonging to the oldest, no other trace of them. Woman appeared dismembered on a trash bag, she was missing certain parts of her body, mainly inner organs; there has not been other clues. Several cats and dogs were found on a roof, throats cut, but there is no sign of struggle," said Tanya

"Kids playing with alchemy, intent of human transmutation failed or organ Traficant, and stupid teen rituals" said Alice.

"Are you saying this is common," said Ed

"Not really but I was on the force for twelve years" said Alice "you get to see a lot"


	5. The Hunt

_Diary of Edward Elric _

_I am getting too used to this time, to this people. I have to remind myself my true purpose. I want to go back to my brother, my friends. I will be missing these guys a lot but I just don't belong here. Talking to Eda might be a good idea. She must remember some things about my brother. I am sure he also intended to find a way to me. The team is doing great; they sure would have been of great help back on our time. _

Chapter 5: The Hunt

Ed could not believe they had six cases for one week. He knew that depending on the area they could be related to each other. There had been sighting of Homunculi on certain areas and there was a young Academy student who claimed that they tried to make him create fake philosopher stones. Ed did not know how they would start. Erick and Tanya had remained accumulating as much information as they could and keeping all in contact with each other.

"Let's go," said Alice getting off the car. She had taken her jacket off "we need to blend in" she said so Ed did the same.

They knocked on a door. A worried mother appeared on the door "inside fast" she said looking around "he is upstairs"

They found the boy sitting on his bed looking at his hands.

"Tell us what happened," said Alice standing before him.

"You are one of them" he said, "You came to see if I would talk"

"Don't talk nonsense," she said seriously "tell us what they looked like"

"Two men, sharp teeth and dark eyes, pale skin," he was saying

"Be more explicit," said Alice

"I don't know," said the boy crying.

"You told your friends and they informed us. Homunculi are dangerous and people around keep saying that they seem them around. If this is a rumor you started to scare or impress you better admit it now," said Ed before graving the boy by his shirt.

"It was very dark! I couldn't quite see them!" shouted the boy with truly frightened eyes.

Alice sighed before he let the boy go.

"How many times have they contacted you?" asked Alice

"Four times" he said before looking at some papers on his desk.

"Ed" Alice said as he looked at them.

"They know how to create it but cannot activate it" he said, "They only need a person to do that"

"I guess it makes sense," said the boy with a bitter laugh "I am not really that good but I can make the circle work"

"You and your mother will move" said Alice "you will be under the guard of the Alchemy department until this is resolved" then they left the room.

Alice made some calls outside and an hour later, a car arrived.

"We are here to pick them up," said another alchemist before the family got on the car with the most essential things.

"If we are lucky the homunculi didn't notice," said Ed looking at the empty street "I can't believe they are trying to get kids to do this kind of things"

"You know, they say there were more homunculi in your time than you thought" said Alice "they might have used means as dark as this"

Ed frowned upon that. He looked at the notes, he guessed that other homunculi knew what had been going on with the philosopher stone and had traced the remaining information. They just needed curious alchemists to create the same results as Dr. Marco.

"Look" said Alice before they saw a shadow running into the alley next to the house.

Misery entered the window of the boy's room. He had long black hair and dark slit green eyes. He was tall and broad wearing a tight black sleeveless shirt and black pants.

"Damn Alchemists" he said with a smooth voice

"We will take that as a compliment," said Ed with his blade out. Alice had already transmuted her gun into her arm.

"The bullet is back, as I heard but who is your companion"

"The name is Ed and that is the only and last thing you will know," said Ed

Misery smiled showing his rows of pointy teeth "then at least make this a fair end...to someone"

On the window a small form appeared. A little girl with ponytails and dark purple eyes appeared.

"Let's play!" she said with a high voice.

Alice went for the guy. He jumped out the window and she followed him.

"Hey!" Ed faced the little girl

"Has anyone ever made your ears bleed?" she asked with a sweet and pointy smile before she screamed "Ahh!" Ed covered his ears at once. The whole room shook with the wave before her little hands became spikes

"You freak!" shouted Ed before she stopped screaming.

"The name is Bella," she said before her arms started to vibrate sending a wave of energy. Ed jumped away before the wall behind him exploded.

"How unfitting!" said Ed flipping the bed over her.

"How dare you!" she said destroying the bed to find him gone.

"Here short stuff!" said Ed jumping from the ceiling after clapping his hands.

"Ahh!" she screamed again but Ed had changed the density of the air making the sound waves slower. He slashed at her but she was fast enough and only got a scratch on her face, which healed in a second. She rolled on the ground before launching at him at great speed. Ed jumped out of her way and sent a kick to her head making her crash out of the room into the hall.

"Don't move!" shouted Ed before slashing her stomach.

"Ah!" she gave a cry of pain as she fell off the stairs "hitting a girl like that!"

"You are not a girl!" he shouted before clapping his hands and placing one on her forehead.

"Keep telling yourself that," she said before she shook and fell dead on the floor with her eyes half-open.

"Kya!" he heard Alice shout. He ran outside to see her land her open hands on her homunculi. He shook before crumbling to dust "this one was old" she said

"That girl looked like the one that disappeared with her grandmother," said Ed. The grandmother had been found dead on a public restroom.

"They must have picked up their new recruit recently then" said Alice "she had yet to consume any fake philosopher stone?"

"She wasn't that strong and her body is intact," said Ed.

"If it had been only one," said Alice before picking a few red stones and placing them on a small bag.

"Homunculi don't care that much if they die" said Ed "even if we had captured him, he wouldn't have talked"

Alice smiled "you are right but you never know when you just might meet one who would" then she looked at her watch "let's get something to eat"

After a few calls, the house was being restored by official Alchemists. They went to a park nearby with something they bought.

"Aren't you glad you met me" she said as she opened a bottle of chocolate milk "or you would have ended cleaning my mess"

Ed laughed sarcastically "I get the feeling that all Mustangs like to pick on me"

"It because you are so easy" she said tossing him an apple.

Ed bit into it. It was not as tasty as the ones that grew back home.

"Life is going to be like this from now on, right?" he asked.

"Pretty much" she said, "it's pretty satisfactory to me. That boy will be able to go back home and continue his life as if nothing had happened"

"You know that is not true" said Ed "they will come back to get him"

"Ed, we are more than the homunculi and we know their every weakness. When we keep people safe we really do it," said Alice "they won't dare come around here for a while"

"If you say so," said Ed.

The rest of the turn they found one case was fake and solved a missing person; runaway teen. When they went back to head quarters they met with their last member.

"Olivia, is nice to see you again," said Alice

"I guess I can say the same Mustang," said the tall blond woman with a birthmark under her eye. She had long flowing blond hair.

"Sister, how was your trip?" asked Erick

"Does it really matter, I am already here," she said coldly before Erick's cloud started to rain.

"You have a place to stay?" asked Alice, she had already asked but thought about insisting.

"I will be staying at my family's home, I prefer my privacy, no offence" said Olivia

"None taken" Alice said 'we are out of rooms anyway' "so what did we have?"

"We got nine cases out of the way and we got some leads for the standing ones starting tomorrow," said Tanya "we will receive more cases tomorrow"

"Not bad to start Alice" said Olivia

"Thanks" said Alice.

2

"For team Heavy Metal!" they toasted on the apartment.

"Not drinking too much, we still have work tomorrow," said Erick before Lee shoved the mouth of the bottle into his mouth

"Relax man!" he said before whispering, "If they are drunk enough we might get lucky"

"You wish!" shouted Alice before drinking again.

"At that pace it might actually happen" said Ed drinking a small shot of whisky.

"You have an odd taste," said Tanya

"If you haven't noticed we are not exactly the most normal group," said Ed as Alice tried to grope Gisela and Jonny tried his best to stop her. Lee forced more alcohol down Erick's throat

"What's so odd about you?" asked Tanya "besides the fact that you can use Alchemy without a transmutation circle like Alice and have two automail parts"

"Didn't you just answer your own question?" said Ed with a glare

"So you are just a strong alchemist," said Tanya "I guess Alice does have skill to judge people"

"And you? Are you some kind of genius?" asked Ed

"I know some alchemy and also have a large range of knowledge on almost every subject existing to man" she said calmly "and a photographic memory"

"I met someone like that once, you are a bookworm?" he asked before she lowered her head

"How mean!" said Gisela pushing Ed aside.

"Hey" he fell on the floor

"He doesn't know what he is talking about, don't take it to heart Tany" said Alice

"It's none of that," she said with a light smile "its just been sometime since I have been called that" after that she went to sleep.

"Ed, Tany was bullied a lot because of her intelligence, please be more careful about it" said Gisela

"Sorry" said Ed

"You can apologize to her tomorrow," said Alice "let's get some sleep"

3

Ed started to get used to his team. Alice was his partner and though she was sometimes mean or annoying she did her best. No causalities passed with her around. Eventually she stopped picking oN Gisela, who admitted to her that she liked someone. Jonny admitted to Ed that he liked Gisela. Ed wondered if there would be any difficulties after they declared their feeling. Lee was an ok guy, he reminded Ed of some of his old friends. The way he constantly smoked made him look just like Havoc. Olivia, he did not see much of her but she carried what they called 'an old fashion' sword with her. Her brother always became quite nervous when she brought it out to polish. Erick Armstrong continued to prove himself the opposite of his ancestor. His skill laid more in research and organization. He only used his alchemic knowledge to help them decipher any trouble. Tanya was just like Sheska; a brain, but had little displayable emotions. She was only half Ishvalan, her brown eyes being proof of that.

It had been only a few times that they had to get together to fight, for the rest they took their own cases and finished them as fast as they could. Ed got used to killing homunculi, even those that looked young. He saw many families in despair but he reminded himself that there was nothing he could do but take away the homunculi that hurt them so much.

4

"Ed, its been sometime, getting used to this time still?" said Eda to Ed when he went to visit her.

"It's not that different," said Ed before she invited him in "I came to know a little bit more about my brother"

"So you want to dwell on the past," said Eda

"It used to be my life," said Ed

"I know, I know," she said before serving them tea

"It's been such a long time since I don't do this," he said drinking the tea

"We old should support each other," said Eda.

"Please tell me more," said Ed

"You are lucky I still can remember," said Eda leaning back on her chair.

"My father was a gentle man with a great smile that sometimes became sad" she said "as if someone was missing in his life. He worked really hard to find that person but when he found the answer he locked himself for a whole month before mother beat some sense into him"

"What did he find?" asked Ed

"He found that he could not move time to have you next to him. I am not sure to what time he intended to travel to find you but he had a feeling that you were in this world" said Eda "he said 'It would all collapse if I only try!' and then he burned his notes and used the rest of his time to try make the country safe from the misuses of Alchemy"

"Alphonse" said Ed looking at his half-filled cup

"He was happy, but not at all he could have been," said Eda


	6. Living Real

_Diary of Alice Mustang_

_I have seen bad things during this job. No kidding, but it has been some years since. With Ed, the still so virgin Ed, it feels as if no calamities will happen but I know they will be here soon. I got a bad feeling involving our job. As if things, involving homunculi are too...I don't know. _

Chapter 6: Living Real

Ed arrived back from his visit to Eda. Everyone had gone out to enjoy their day off. He spotted Alice in the living room looking into the files that had taken them longer to resolve and those that were still unsolved.

"Everything went well?" she asked him

"Yeah" said Ed dropping on the couch before she started to pile certain files together.

"I am going to get something to eat, you want anything?" she said standing

"I will go with you, there is nothing better to do," he said

They went to a dinner.

"You don't seem so shocked about this time anymore," said Alice

"I know" he said with a smile "to think that my brother and friends helped to make this come true makes me feel easier about it"

"Even with the large number of homunculi?" she asked

"Not everything can be perfect" he said "and they are not really that organized, they give less trouble"

"It was hard for you, right? Only you and your brother had to deal with them," said Alice

"It was but you know, it was all worth it," he said

"I never had the chance to know the homunculi better; it's always a one encounter thing. I heard some want to be human and others to get more out of their existence, what do you think?"

"They shouldn't exist, but we made mistakes and that is the result. The best we can do is try to solve them"

"So you think they all should die no matter what?" she asked

"Not so much but they are troublesome," he said.

"Hm" she drank her coffee with a thoughtful look "If you befriended a homunculi without knowing, would you also kill it?" she asked.

"I would let it live as long as it did not give trouble" said Ed

"Good to hear that" said Alice "I thought you were as close minded as the old people. There are but a few homunculi who live peacefully hidden. We try to not get on their way and I guess I have yet to take you to meet one"

"It's that legal?" he asked,

"They are seen as a plague and they have their own set of laws. If the homunculi aren't giving trouble then we can't really do anything to them"

"So they have their own rights as well" said Ed, he had forgotten about that, during the academy he had learned about that but they spent their time only hunting the bad that he had forgotten about it.

"They never asked to be brought into this world, just like humans," she said

"You don't really hate them," said Ed.

"Only the bad ones" she said "makes the good look bad"

1

"I think someone was on a date," said Olivia coming by to see how Alice was doing with the files.

"We only went to get something to eat," said Ed as they came in.

"Right" said Gisela

"What does it matter?" said Lee with a bitter tone. He had invited her out earlier that and had been rejected "are we going or not?"

"Where?" asked Alice

"To a night club" said Jonny "it's been sometimes since we go to one"

"Ed over here is still not over 21," said Alice.

"Then I guess he stays home alone" said Lee

"I am sure they won't notice. If we all go together," said Gisela.

"What you say Ed?" asked Erick

"I will give it a shot"

2

Getting inside was no trouble. The trouble was inside.

"Move it!" screamed Alice as she danced with Lee

Ed was drinking watching the crowds of sweaty and screaming people.

"Don't you want to try?" asked Olivia as a guy asked her to dance.

"I don't think I am ready for this kind of dancing," he said as Gisela danced down Jonny's body

"You are cute, want to go have some fun?" said a red head sitting next to him.

"Depends," he said with a nervous smile

"To the back rooms" she whispered on his ear.

"Ed, go for it," Alice whispered on his other ear

"What...what!" he said as she pulled him to stand. The red head laughed at such display.

"Go!" she pushed him before the red headed girl graved his arm and pulled him away.

Ed was not sure to what to do. This kind of things had never crossed his mind and that time was so much more daring. A bunch of things that could happen crossed his mind and he could not think to dare any of them. Behind the club, there were actually small rooms for private parties. She pulled him into one before embracing him by his neck. It was dark, Ed was about to get away.

"You are so ripped" she passed a hand down his chest.

"I...you..." her body was too close to him.

"Don't be shy," she said wrapping a leg around him, "we are all here for the same"

'I just wanted to hang out with my friends' he thought since no word could come out of his mouth.

"Let's go to my place, we can really let go there" she said before Ed placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away from him.

"I am not here for that," he said

"Are you gay then, don't want your friends to know?" she asked stepping back.

"No!" he said "I am just more, traditional" that is a word Alice used a lot to describe him.

The girl sighed before leaving the room. Ed went back to the others.

"That was fast," said Lee with a smile before Alice elbowed him.

"Everything okay?" she asked

"She wanted to take me home," he said as he sat at their table.

"What!" the girls shouted while the guys only shock their head.

"Then why didn't you go with her?" asked Lee

"An easy girl can't be that good," said Erick

"You never know where they have been," said Jonny.

"Well, I am glad. She could have planned to steal your money or something like that," said Gisela

"Don't act so dignified!" said Alice "As if any of you had never had a one nighter"

"Not really" said Tanya

"Me too" said Erick

Olivia, being the oldest sighed, "You still haven't come out of your sexual frustration. To talk about such thing"

"Well, is not like any of us is still a virgin," said Lee before all but Ed started to laugh. When they noticed him not laughing they all stared at him.

"I have been busy," he simply said looking the other way.

"Don't worry, I will make sure you are not left out!" said Alice hugging him from behind.

"You would the be last I would...," he was saying before noticing Lee was holding her as far as he could from him.

"She is mine," he simple said before she elbowed his face.

"Idiot, I was just joking," she said sitting again "alright, our new unofficial mission will be to find Ed a good girl to fuck"

"You don't have to say it like that!" shouted Ed "and I don't need your help!"

"You are so frustrated," said Alice shaking her head.

"Shut up!"

3

Most went to sleep once they were back home. Olivia stayed on Gisela's room because she could not drive.

"So you have never..." said Alice to Ed down on the kitchen.

"No" he said, "I had other goals"

"I bet you wanted to do Winry," she said with a smile before Ed threw her a knife, which she caught.

"Don't say a word about her!" said Ed

"So you really loved her," said Alice "I am sure there is a girl for you in this time"

"Maybe not" he said before she stood.

"What I said back there, I wasn't joking," she said before she left.

Ed looked at his empty glass 'would she?' he wondered. He knew she did not care for Lee 'I can't believe I am even considering it' he thought angrily before going to his room.

"Ah!" he heard a moan next to his room, at Jonny's room. He guessed Gisela left her room to Olivia.

Ed covered his ears "this is going to be a long night"

4

The next day it went as usual. She acted as if she had not said what she said. Work was usual. Homunculi looking for humans to give them fake philosopher stones and whatnot, people that misused alchemy and ended ripped apart, missing people, chimeras on the lose, people who used alchemy to break the law. Her phone rang, she answered.

"Where?" she had parked the car to the side, her frown was big. She hung and started to drive at great speed

"What happened?" he asked

"There is a group of human chimeras attacking the Alchemy library, deaths have been reported," she said

Ed could only wait to get there. The Alchemy library held all books and notes of advance Alchemy, there was no checking out for them and any notes made had to be checked before the writer could leave. It was complex but safe, until now.

Both jumped off the car and ran to the large building. The police force had also joined the fight. They carried large and at the same time light machinery.

"Ha!" Alice ran in and jumped on the back of one, something like a hairy spider and a cat. She slashed its neck open before jumping into the next one. Ed transmuted the air conditioner so that it pulled the smoke and the air debris. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the several bodies on the floor, of all ages. There were many screams of outrage.

"C'mon!" The chimeras were regrouping.

"Finish them all"

Ed followed Alice to a hall.

"There are highly advanced books under this building," she said before they encountered another group of chimeras

"Then let's not waste time! I will hold them back you go ahead," he said since she knew where to find the books.

The chimeras, he could tell, some were once human, but it was not strange that some people got themselves transmuted so that they could live longer or heal certain illnesses but they became corrupted with their newfound abilities. He wondered how many died until the human chimera became a perfected formula. By the number of people outside and the blood that stained their skins, shells, and scales; they were to be killed at once. In the past, he would have stopped himself to think about it but there was no time to think now, just finish them before they could get away, and hurt more people.

When he was done with them, he went to find Alice. By the path of bodies, he found which way she took. He stood before a large vault. There were claw marks on it. He went in.

There were only three bookshelves lighted by a few lamps above. Before these bookshelves stood homunculi holding a little girl up by her hair. Alice stood back, one of her shoulders hung lose. Ed gave a step forwards.

"Never" said Alice "NEVER!"

"Too bad" said the homunculi before its arm cracked with energy and the little girl went limp

"No!" Ed ran before Alice placed her still good arm to stop him.

"He is mine," she said before running at great speed.

"Have a present!" the homunculi said throwing her the little girl. Alice caught her. The homunculi disappeared. Alice did not move. She just held the little girl.

"Is she?" Ed asked wondering if they would pursue it

"She is dead" she had an empty tone.

Ed looked at the little girl, maybe seven or eight years old.

"I couldn't save her," said Ed

"We had no chance," said Alice

"What did you deny for?" he asked.

"He wanted me to perform human alchemy on her so that he became human" she said "So either way..."

They took the little girl out before finding the chimeras had been finished. No one saw the homunculi but them. They left the little body to the other authorities.

"It called itself Illusion," she said once they were driving back to the station "it belonged to a more and better organized group of homunculi"

"No kidding," he said as he got out of the car. She didn't get out "what are you..." she pulled back from the parking

"I am going home, I don't feel well," she said before she left.

Ed went to their headquarters where he told them what had happened.

"Poor Alice, she can't stand death," said Erick

Ed got home earlier to see how she was doing. He stood out her door before hearing her sobbing. He could not knock on her door. She was the proud type. He let a few tears spill as well.


	7. Body

Diary of Edward Elrick

_I guess that little girl is gone but we have somehow avenged her. But how was it that after that...I mean one time...was really the stress getting in the way and... It can't be that kind of stress. I mean I have lived like that for...Am I really too old already for still being...I hate such thoughts. It is so confusing! Life makes no sense. _

Chapter 7: Body

After the death of the young girl, things became quiet. During their days off, they took on to find Illusion. Ed got home late, he wondered if Alice was also back. He found a note on the kitchen. The others had gone out.

"Ed?" she said getting out of the bathroom with a towel on her hair and dressed on light clothes.

"Find anything?" he asked before she shook her head

"The bastard leaves no trace" she dropped on the couch before turning the TV on. Ed went to change into something more comfortable and joined her.

"What were those books anyways?" he asked

"Human transmutation and other things" she said before she turned to face him.

"What is it?" he asked as she came closer

"Was it my fault?" she asked, "That little girl, she could have lived"

"I don't know," said Ed "there were many variables" she touched his cheek. Her hands were cold.

"She won't be able to grow," she said before her lips touched his, she had been drinking "she won't be able to feel or kiss"

"I know," he said placing his flesh hand on her hip. She looked directly at his eyes. Her eyes became so dark; he could almost get lost on them. Their lips touched again before she passed a hand down his tight.

"I want to..." their lips almost touched again. There was a sound coming from the door. The others were back. They pulled away from each other.

"Next time you guys have to come!" said Lee as they dragged a drunk to faint Erick.

"We might" said Alice before standing "but for now, I will be going to bed"

"Have nice dreams" said Jonny.

1

Ed could not sleep. How they were acting, that could not be right. They were partners and both had agreed on that it was not good idea to place such strain on the team. Gisela and Jonny had been their main example. He shivered, and his lips were dry. He had to talk to her now or tomorrow it would interfere on their job. He went to her door.

"Alice, we need to talk," he said before knocking softly. There was no answer. He did not want to wake the others up. He opened the door lightly.

"Ed" he heard her voice before he went in "E...Ed" Ed closed the door behind him so they would not hear her. She sat on her bed giving him the back and facing the open window. Ed could tell what she was doing. She was naked and had a hand between her legs "Ed" her voice was soft before she threw her head back with closed eyes. Moon illuminated her whole body. She was wearing her hair long and it spread on her bed "Ah..."

"A...Alice" he tried to get her attention but lost his voice as she rocked her hips once she lay on bed.

He walked forwards before she saw him with half open eyes "I want to be your first," she said.

Ed sat next to her, not sure what to do. She kneeled before him on the floor.

"Do you want me too?" she asked.

"I...I don't know" he said before she smiled softly. Her fingers undid his sweat pants and pulled them down along with his boxers "Alice..."

"I will help you make up your mind" she said before running a metal finger down his erection "you will love it" her tongue touched the head before going around it. Ed clawed to the bed as he forced his hips not to jump. She took him into her mouth with closed eyes. Ed grasped her hair as she started move her head back and forth. She stopped to flicker his member with her tongue.

"S...Stop," he asked but she did not stop. She pushed him until he lay on her bed.

"Made up your mind yet?" she asked before grasping his member and starting to pump it.

"I can masturbate myself," he said trying to push her but she would not budge. She crawled next to him before with her free hand removed his simple shirt. She smiled before leaning down and kissing his chest.

"Don't deny yourself what you want," she said taking his flesh hand and placing it on her breast.

"Not much to want here" he said before she pulled his nipple "hey!"

"You just ruined the atmosphere," she said pulling away.

"What's with you anyways?" he said pulling his pants and underwear up "why did you start to act like this?"

"I am frustrated, just as you" she said, "Its nothing about intimate feelings, I just need something to get lost on for a while, like you"

"Then get another playmate, we are working partners" Ed told her not looking at her still naked body.

"What's the point?" she said and before he could reply she said, "even if I fuck Lee, that won't make you relax"

"Why do I need to relax!" he almost shouted

"We haven't taken our day off in a while and with no rest it will soon affect our minds and our work and sooner or later we will lose another person," she said

Ed did not say anything, he thought about it. Was she right? They had made no mistakes but it could happen if they did not take a moment to breathe

"Or we could just take our next day off to rest" she said "but I thought you may enjoy this, you being a virgin and all"

Ed almost strangled her for that "so you won't try this again?"

"Sad?" she asked with a smile.

"As if" he said before she tackled him and sat, spread legs at top of him

"I still want to be your first," she said

Ed looked at her strong yet slim body; her automail arms did not stand too much as her small breasts. They were like those of a girl that was just halfway developing into a woman.

"Or is your dick too small?" she asked before he flipped her and he was between her legs "lose the pants and everything else"

"Just because you tell me to?" he said with a twisted smile.

"Because I want you to," she said before she rubbed her hips against his.

Ed closed his eyes, trying to think rationally "what if you get pregnant? Or what if I catch something from you"

"I am on the pill, and you are the first guy that I have sex with without having him put protection" she said with a smile "I should be the one worrying"

He was about to pull back before she graved his flesh hand and placed it over her entrance. Ed watched her push two of his fingers inside of her.

"Ah" she moaned, her eyes closing "c'mon Ed, please"

Ed pulled his fingers back, before pushing them back in. His breath was taken when she cried again his name.

"You were saying my name before" he said, as he trusted his fingers into her again

"So you would close the fucking door," she whined as her back arched "go deeper" she moaned

Ed swallowed before adding another finger and doing as she said.

"You!" she took hold of his hand and pushed it farther "fuck!"

Ed could not hold it; he pushed his pants down and graved his member. As he pumped his fingers, he also pleasured himself.

"Get it inside" she sat up, with her legs still spread.

"No way" he said before she took hold of his hair

"Do it!" she said before her lips crashed against his.

Ed pulled his lips back from hers before lowering his head to her wet entrance; it was flooding with her juices.

"Not that!" but once he heard her say that he could not help it. He licked temptingly before her whole body shook and fell back "not that" she moaned before he continued licking. He found a little nub that he had heard about and pressed it between his lips. She started to pant; her body became covered on sweat. He opened her folds even more before dipping his tongue as far as he could. He tasted her, not a great taste but he craved it because of hearing her cries.

"I will do it" he wanted to know how she would react. She looked at him with lost eyes. He placed the head in first before pushing inside slowly. She had closed her eyes and her lips were parted. Maybe he had a little bit too many drinks before going to sleep. His hips responded immediately to hers. Both began to move to an unknown rhythm. Ed could only hear their panting and the constant impact of flesh. Ed could only describe it as raw. The whole bed shook. He hoped Tanya did not hear them next door. Ed lost track on the feeling that invaded his groin and brain. He gasped as other pleasures invaded him. She bit into his neck, close to his automail. Their movements became frenzy. The rhythm was lost as well as all thought. He loved it and craved it even more. His movements stopped abruptly before his trusts deepened.

"Ah!" she cried as her body shook just like his. The world became a blur before he collapsed at top of her.

Both were panting.

"Not so small I guess," she said crawling towards her pillow "I don't think I can stand"

Ed grinned before she threw him the other pillow "you asked for it"

"Oh damn it" she said covering herself with her blanket "better get out of here before the others wake up"

Ed looked at her window, the sun was coming out, and he had not had a simple minute of sleep

"Maybe we should take our day off today," he said before hearing her calm breathing. He sighed hoping to make it back to his room in time.

2

They placed their own alarm on the library. Illusion came back and they cornered him. With no hostages, they were free to destroy it with all the anger they had saved.

Then Ed could barely control himself. He always looked at Alice from the side when she drove. His dreams did not even let him rest of that torture. Sometimes he dreamt of Alice and other times he dreamt about Winry. Those dreams left him with the need to change his bed sheets more than once a week. Alice acted as if nothing happened. They started to enjoy their days off. He felt anger when he saw her dancing with Lee or anyone else. He had to remind himself that it was his body and nothing else. He could do any other woman and still get the same pleasure. He convinced himself to the point to which he had to be dragged out of club with a strong smell of alcohol.

"Hopefully he will be ok by tomorrow" said Gisela, she had noticed the change on Ed but wondered what had provoked it.

"Ed?" Alice did not bother to knock. She smiled when she saw the light under the door of his restroom. She heard him grunt before opening the door whole.

"What a!" he cried before she pushed him into the shower.

"Are you so proud that you have to wait for me to come console you?" she said opening the water for the shower "it's a physical need, and we are friends. I can help you, if you also help me"

Ed graved her arm before placing her between the shower and him "how far?" he asked

"All the way" she said with a smile before he went directly to the main course "you bastard!" she cried as they started to follow the unknown rhythm.

After another two servings, he carried her to the bed. She had fallen sleep or so he thought, "I can't believe this"

"It helps to deal some of the loneliness," she said opening her eyes "we all feel it from now and then, some more than others"

"Who do you miss?" he asked

"No one, because there has never been anyone; that's my loneliness" she said before leaning on her elbows "you wish I was her, right?"

"Who?" he asked not meeting his eyes.

"Have it your way" she said trying to stand with his blanket around her.

"Hey!" he worried once she fell back to the bed.

"I am okay," she said before closing her eyes.

3

"Xing?" both Ed and Alice asked.

"We have a diplomat coming over and since you are some of the best your will assure his arrival here" said Robert Mustang "don't worry, all your cases will be spread equally among other hunter teams"

Ed and Alice went back to their team to deliver the news.

"Xing diplomats, this could go bad," said Erick

"They refused our attempts to help them create a democracy" said Tanya "but they aren't hostile towards us"

"Still there is a large gap between our cultures," said Lee

"Ed and I will escort the diplomat personally, the rest will keep on a look out for any danger" said Alice.

"Roger" they all said.


	8. Mind

Chapter 8: Mind

Ed wanted a book. He wanted to look any other place but was supposed to look. He wondered if Alice's smile was true. Part of him did not want it to be. It was not that he felt anything special about her but they did sleep together any other night. It was his primal self-screaming to rip the Xing diplomat's hands away from Alice's shoulder and tight. She had to be playing the good hostess part. He wondered if they could change positions with Gisela and Jonny. A smile drew on his face thinking how Jonny would just not rip the hands off.

"Right Ed?" asked Alice pulling herself a little far from the diplomat

"Hm?" he returned from his thoughts.

"I was telling Mr. Hoshi about our more usual assignments," said Alice.

"You mean the Homunculi hunt" said Ed "what about it?"

"Lady Mustang tells me it's quite a hard job," said Hoshi. His hair was short and well groomed, dark eyes and fair skin. His face was that of a true Diplomat.

"I guess it is, even though we have been doing it for a while there always are new challenges" said Ed.

"Both of your have automail, how odd is that?" he asked

"A misfortune" said Alice

"I heard about your accident, a few years back but what about Mr. Elric. With your family I doubt it was a failed attempt of human transmutation," said Hoshi.

"In an accident, when I was a child" said Ed "I prefer to not talk about it"

"That's understandable," said Hoshi.

"So what do you seek in Amestris?" asked Ed.

"Oh some of your alchemic knowledge, I have also brought with me some of our most recent findings on Renjutsu to share" said Hoshi

"Equal trade? Sounds good to me," said Alice

"Thanks" said Hoshi.

Then he went to give back all his attention to Alice. Ed could not stand the guy. The train, though more modern still took sometime before they arrived to their destination. At the station, a larger group of bodyguards awaited them.

"It was a pleasure to travel with you Lady Mustang, and of course you too Mr. Elric" said Hoshi

"It was nothing," said Alice before they separated.

"Nothing out of the usual?" asked Lee back at the base.

"It was way easy for except of that chatter box" said Alice "He kept trying to get information from me as our current state with the alchemy findings. How do we know that those are really their latest findings on the Renjutsu?"

1

"Ah" Alice held to Ed's head as he sucked on her breast.

"You are so sensible even though you are only an A cup" said Ed before going back to torture her nipple.

"Shut up" she said between pants "you are the one that get's jealous so easily"

"I was not jealous," said Ed "he took much liberty towards you" he was push back before she climbed up to his member.

"He did it only to bother you" she said "even I could sense your jealousy" her tongue ran along his dick. Ed could only watch her before she took him completely into her mouth. He placed a hand at top of her head. Her hair was soft and silky. He noticed that every night that he came to see her she wore her hair long "E...Ed" he saw he had been holding too strongly to her hair. She had a few tears forming on her eyes.

"Sorry" he said letting go "are you?"

She smiled softly before sitting up. The view made him tingle and accidently cum a little over her.

"I..." he did not know what to say when he saw part of it had landed on her face.

"This is not really my style," she said before again leaning down to suck him dry.

Ed could stop thinking on those nights. He could forget that his little brother was gone, that Winry was not the one doing this to him. He only cared that Alice continued to pleasure him. He had a few friends now and he had a good and well-paid job. This was what his mother would have like him to do, or something for the style.

"Too much!" cried Alice pulling back. The cum landed on her body.

"Al... Alice" he tried to clean her at least with the bed sheet but instead she tackled him.

"Feels nice, right?" she asked as she pressed her body against his. Ed did not know what to say "you are still so..."

"So what?" he asked as she twirled a finger on his chest.

"I don't know, but it makes me horny" she said, "You are like...a puppy that I always want to play with"

"Puppy?" he asked before she smiled bigger

"A kitty then?" she asked before he sighed.

"You are only trouble," he said before their lips connected. He did not care that she was covered on his cum or that her mouth also tasted like it. The company that she gave him made his loneliness feel less.

2

"You hypocrite alchemists!" a homunculi with a young looking body shouted. She was captured on a transmutation circle that connected from the ceiling to he ground "you make us and then you just want to get rid off us"

"We weren't the ones to make you," said Alice "you already existed behind the gate, all you did was use us"

"You are one to talk," said the homunculi before Alice shot at its head. As it, reformed Alice took the chance to place a bag over her head.

"Stupid homunculi" she said bitterly "they make hopeful souls perform alchemy, they trick them to make stones out of themselves and create more homunculi. There is nothing worth listening to them"

"C'mon, the truck is already here," said Ed as and Alice placed signs along the homunculi so its movements were restrain. Then they carried her to a truck outside "what will they do to her"

"You know, slice and dice, extract its stones, and then send it back to the gate once we execute a human criminal" said Alice as they got on her car "or they may lock it somewhere until it decides to speak something important"

Event though Ed knew that Alice left alone the homunculi that did not give any problem she really disliked the homunculi that tricked humans. He could almost see fire in her eyes. She had been a victim to human transmutation by her own brother. What was a sister compared to the love of your life? Ed could not even start to understand.

"Comeback!" Alice stopped the car as figure ran in front of it. They saw an elderly woman run after the figure.

"Let's check it," said Alice seeing that both came from an Alchemy resource store. They tracked them down to an alley. They got a good look at the thief. A young boy with a black and red Mohawk with the homunculi sing on his forehead.

"Stand aside m'am" said Alice before the woman looked at her petrified.

"I..." the woman gave a step back before looking away from the boy with sadness

"Alice wait" said Ed after she clapped her hands and placed them at top of the boy's head.

"You are so troublesome Jack" said Alice before the Mohawk fell apart and covered the boy's serpent mark "I told you to call me as soon as you felt that you needed a stone"

"Thank goodness" said the woman with a look of relief.

"Hm" Jack looked stubborn before handing her the bag with the alchemy ingredients. He had wanted to create a red stone for himself.

"Let's go before someone wonders what we are doing," said Alice before they went to the shop's back room.

"I thought you had retired," said Jack

"I am back," she said placing a small stone on the table "It should keep you well for five more years"

"Alice!" Ed stood as the homunculi reached for the stone.

"This is one of those homunculi that live hidden," said Alice "I met the original Jack a few years ago. He died when two chemicals combined on the shelves by accident and exploded. Maria's husband tried to bring him back but..."

"He wasn't a good alchemist, just a hobby of his," said Maria

"She told me about Jack. I told her to keep him as long as it didn't give her trouble and gave him a stone every time he felt as if he was fading," said Alice

"So you are one of those homunculi that need a stone once in a while," said Ed before Jack swallowed the red stone.

"It's either that or eat the whole store," said Jack, he looked around thirteen.

"Thank you again Alice," said Maria

:"It was nothing, just don't be afraid to call me," said Alice with a smile.

3

Ed was called to see Robert Mustang.

"I am glad that you are getting along with my daughter. With your building reputation you are helping to my and the Elric family" said Robert

"But you just didn't call me to tell me that" said Ed

"I want to know if there is something going on with you two" there a serious look on his face.

"We are only partners and friends," said Ed calmly

"I am glad" there was true relief on his voice "oh, my son will be graduating soon from the Academy. There will be a party at the mansion. You as the rest of the team are invited"

4

The guys waited for the girls to be ready so they could finally leave. They wore black tuxedos. Tanya came out first; her long hair ran down like a river, and her dress a light salmon color with a V opening. Gisela was next; she wore a traditional Ishvalan dress with reds and yellows that had many layers but let enough to see she had curves

"You really know how to dress formal," said Lee when Alice appeared in a tight black dress.

"It's my brother's celebration," she said

"He is going to be happy that you are there," said Jonny

"I hate public appearances," said Alice.

5

Ed watched as Alice introduced her half brother to the society filled with politicians, lawyers, high-ranking officers, and important families.

'Things have not changed that much' he thought drinking lightly since the night had just started. There were several couples on the dance floor. They danced like in his time, but it was called formal. Even Gisela and Jonny who enjoyed much more daring dances kept their distance from each other.

"I thought someone like you would have more questions about our time," said Tanya sitting next to him on the table. It had only taken her a few weeks to discover his true identity.

"Not really" said Ed. He had learned about the changes in those few months in the Academy. The life style was much better and there were new things, such that he only seen on the other side of the gate. That worried him but he guessed there were people already taking care of it.

"Not even her arm?" asked Tanya looking at Gisela. She had the same tattoos Scar had. Ed already knew that she belonged to a special family that chose only two per generation to carry that mark. Gisela was one of the first women to actually have it and he was glad it was she. She had used that arm a few times before him but only when truly necessary.

"I am just glad that they reached an agreement," said Ed.

Tanya, who was only half Ishvalan, rubbed her temple "It's not as simple as it looks, if so, things are actually better hidden than before"

"What you mean?" asked Ed

"Alice was victim to her brother, everyone knows that yet her brother was not prosecuted by the sole reason that his father swore to keep him out of trouble. Alice gave forgiveness to him in public but she still held an intense fear of him to the point where she moved from the mansion and quit the force when he decided to join in"

"I already knew that," said Ed, Alice talked about it sometimes during work and after sex

"But you don't know the whole truth" said Tanya "why would Ace use his very own sister, if their mother had died just a few years before. They are hiding something. Almost every family hides something, there are way too many homunculi compared to the accidents that we are reported"

Ed knew of the probability that there were a lot of human transmutation intents hidden, but way too many to be casual people trying. Tanya could be right, there might be one single identity trying to give trouble. An even more important thought crossed his mind 'Is Alice keeping something from me?'


	9. Memories

_Alice's Diary_

_My existence sometimes I regard as a mistake. I should have not been born or at least, my death should have already occurred. I know who I am and for what I stand in this world but for what I am, that has me confused. _

Distance 9: Memories

Alice looked at the ceiling of her bedroom. Her dress was on the floor. Her legs were a little tired of the dancing and her head hurt slightly from having to listen to so many idiots who wanted the reputation of the Mustang family. She was desperate for Charlie to grow up and become the one at charge of the family. She knew he would be the one long ago. From the moment, he was born and that she could see the mistrust for Ace on everyone. She had more reasons than anyone but she did not express them. That was not like her.

1

It had been a long time since Jonny did not get together with the rest of his family. He had missed his sister Irene. Lee was ok for being his cousin but the guy needed to get off Alice. Everyone could see Alice had her eyes on someone else and the walls were not so thick. He was not surprised by her behavior. She always did what she wanted; she had been like that since they met so many years ago.

_Alice was six years old and playing with the dogs of the Mustang mansion. They all seemed to love her as they obeyed her every command. _

"_Go ahead dear, Mr. Mustang and I have to talk about something," his great grandmother had said. _

_Jonny went and said hi, next thing he knew he was being chased by the dogs and she was at top of one as if it was a horse. _

"_Down with the Elric!" she shouted before Jonny turned around and stopped and so did the dogs. He took a fighting stance, all on his family were taught this style. _

_Alice started to laugh until she fell from the dog. _

"_I am Alice," she said simply as she stood up_

"_Jonny Elric" he said seeing she was odd but still nice "I am sorry about your mom," he said_

"_Thank you" she said her face shadowing_

_It had been only one month since Lady Mustang had passed away from chemical poisoning. Her body suffered greatly before they finally found her. It was said that Alice was the one to find her. Everyone said that her mother created something that gave Alice back her health. _

_After that time, he never mentioned her mother again. He saw very little of Ace, because he was away in the Academy and later fell in love. Alice never paid attention to him. She placed all her effort on studies. She was great at Alchemy and every other subject. She had regular friends even though she was not normal sometimes. There was a moment when he had a crush on her but such thoughts went away once Lee placed his eyes on her. He was as high spirited as her and she liked competition. They dated and other things. Some that he was sure he never wanted to know, they were only 10 years old!_

_He had sat looking at a lake on their country house. Alice and Lee were inside doing who knew what "you are still my friend Jonny" she said to him one afternoon that he didn't want to see her "guys come and go, but friends are forever" she hugged him from the back "Lee is very stupid in a way I can't well explain, unlike you"_

_They did not last more than a year but Lee never gave up. _

_Six years after Lady Mustang died, Ace's fiancé died as well. _

2

Alice could still remember that woman. Ace loved her so much. He was ready to give his life for her. She fell from the stairs, broke her neck on the first step. Alice saw it all. She was leaving Ace and Ace had tried to stop her but she pulled too hard from him and fell. Immediately Ace made her swear to not say a thing, he was the only recorded witness. She knew she did not have to but that woman had been stealing from her brother for a long time but he would not listen to reason. He had loved her too much.

Ace became secluded after the funeral. Alice was the only one aloud into his room. The questions he made her, worried her

"I got from Erick that the oldest of the Elric brothers might have sacrificed his whole self to bring his younger brother back. You think that if one human is sacrificed then another could be brought back?" he asked her.

"I wouldn't know brother, I have never performed human transmutation" she said before receiving a sigh "but I believe the younger brother wasn't dead to start with"

"The rumor of the suit of armor?" he asked

"There are files of such cases" she said "and later is recognized the older brother returns when the gate is open and the invasion of the other world"

"What about sacrificing homunculi, they belong to the gate and returning them..." it was not even a complete theory.

"Homunculi have a different worth than humans, they might be stronger, but their creating is not as special as that of humans. They are mere minds in the gate. Humans are mind and body from the beginning. For them to sustain a physical body they need the red stone, we are not the same"

Her fears were funded once she woke up inside a transmutation circle and the gate open before her. She saw the eyes of her mother along with many others. She found herself screaming. The limbs of darkness came for her. They took her arms.

"Alice!" her father came in and shot Ace on the shoulder making him step into the circle. The limbs went for him and took both his legs before Ace could cancel the transmutation.

3

Lee still remembered how fast his brother packed his things before rushing out. He had heard what happened but still could not believe it. He had sat outside with Jonny and heard Alice scream as they placed the automail on her. She had only been thirteen years old. As for Ace, Lee evaded him as much as he could after Alice asked him to let her father deal with him. Lee wanted to kill Ace but seeing the emptiness on the man's eyes made him realize it was not worth. Part of him was already dead.

As for Alice, well she went into the Alchemy Academy and in one intent; she was able to perform alchemy without the circle. Most people who had such skill were jailed because they gained it from trying human transmutation but Alice was a victim.

She graduated with honors in three months. Some people said she had the knowledge of the gate. Some people did not want her to become an Alchemist officer.

Even with metal limbs, Alice held her same attitude and spark. That made him love her even more. She stood up to them and on the first week of her duty, she finished twenty homunculi. For a child, she was the greatest Alchemist of their time, but that was his opinion.

Even so, after they worked together sometimes, all of their little dates and their sleeping together she remained free from him.

4

Gisela brushed her hair before going to sleep. She remembered when she met Alice. She was kind, strong, and smart, like she heard before they placed them to work together. She was also stubborn and had certain soft spots for peaceful homunculi. Gisela had been raised with a strong detest for homunculi but after meeting a few, her right arm of destruction did not twitch anymore. When everyone was starting to think that she would be the one to take her father's place Ace returned. She did not seem shock or offended though she kept away from him as much as she could. On her last day, she told Gisela that she liked her. Gisela was not use to hearing such thing, so she consulted Jonny.

"Alice had to be kidding," he said

"I am not," said Alice from the door before she marched forwards and kissed Gisela on the lips "later"

Once she was gone, Gisela had a sleeve over her mouth. She looked at Jonny frozen, with bleeding nose.

"That was the hottest thing I have ever seen," he said before she smacked him on the head

"Grow up!" said Gisela

5

Alice could not sleep. She still wondered if there was any chance of bringing Ace back. She was sure he was not trying to bring his dead girl friend or even his mother back. There was something different about his technique. As if, he really intended to bring Ed to their time. She shook her head. That could not be possible. Why would he interfere on the time line inside the gate to pull a legendary alchemist out...?

She left her room and went down to the kitchen where she found a sleepless Erick.

"Hey" she said, "can't sleep?"

"Everyone is thinking too much, it's hard to even close your eyes," said Erick.

"It was somewhat of a busy night," she said serving herself a glass of milk

"I guess," said Erick "I am just glad that it will be Charlie the one to take after your father"

"C'mon, I am not that bad" she said

"It's not that you are bad," his tone sounded odd to her as she placed the glass on the sink "it's just that it would be so sad for everyone to know"

"Since when do you know?" she asked turning around, her eyes had turned cold.

"I know you since very young Alice, I have always known," said Erick drinking from his coffee

"Who else knows?" asked Alice sitting across from him

"My sister and I guess your father as well" said Erick "but I won't say a thing"

"I hope not, we are getting along so well!" she said with a smile.

"Still you should tell Edward Elric," said Erick

"Don't worry about that, I will let him down slowly" said Alice

"I hope it goes better than how you left Jonny and Lee," said Erick Armstrong.

"I hope so too" she said in a more calmed voice.

On the hall, Ed stood listening for a second longer before going to his room.

6 next day

Alice jumped over a group of three chimeras, while she kept their attention Ed tackled them down before both created a large cage.

"Now be nice," said Alice as one tried to reach for her.

"Let's get the others," said Ed before they went to the next floor of an old abandoned house. The area outside was surrounded by other authorities in case one of the chimeras went outside. It seemed that the old man that lived in the house had experimented greatly. The old man died of a heart attack and on the panic opened the main switch for the locks.

"So cute" said Alice as she picked something between a hamster and a lizard. It showed its little fangs before she threw it down the stairs.

Ed did not respond. He traced a group of chimera to a room. Alice was right behind him.

"Are you alright?" asked Alice noticing he was too thoughtful. She kicked down the door and ran in.

Ed sighed before joining the fight. They captured several of the chimera, others they had to kill just because their existence was painful.

It was midnight when they were done. Alice yawned before rubbing her eye.

"It was kind of fun" she said before getting on the copilot seat "you drive"

Ed raised his eyebrows. She had never let him drive her car. She snuggled into the seat and took a deep sigh. She was sleep even before he started.

"What are you hiding?" he said to himself

"You said something?" she asked opening one eye lazily.

"Nothing, rest" he said


	10. Far From You

Distance 10: Far From You

Below the great Central City, a large group gathered.

"She won't come to us," said homunculi among the other hundreds.

"We will force her," said another

"She is strong"

"But she has attachments"

"We can use them"

"But which one would be the best to take"

"Her father is too strong and always well guarded"

"One of her team"

1

Alice stopped on the park; they had just received a call about the sighting of homunculi. Ed followed with the hope that it was not a prank.

"It's a pretty night," said Alice looking at the full moon.

Ed did not comment. He was still somewhat bothered by the fact that she was hiding something from him. They walked into the described spot. They started to look for any sign of homunculi. They saw a path walked deeper into the trees. They followed it to a sewer opening.

"Oh my, my" said Alice "should we?"

"Ladies first" said Ed before she smiled and jumped

"What a smell!" she said when Ed landed next to her.

"What did you expect?" he asked before bringing a flash light out. An Alchemist always had to be ready. They waked following recent footprints.

"Big enough to move around" said Alice before they felt the tunnel move.

"For something even bigger than us" said Ed giving a step back

"I...I guess" she said stepping back as well. Two bright red eyes appeared before them. Ed pointed his flashlight in that direction before seeing a large circular face that occupied the whole tunnel. It smiled showing its long and sharp teeth.

"Alice?" asked Ed before seeing Alice was already gone "you cheater!" he ran after her

"We are not racing, if you didn't start to run that was your problem!" she cried before they felt the tunnel shake again.

"Kitties, kitties!" the voices boomed behind them.

"There!" Alice saw the point through which they entered. They looked up to see a smiling Homunculi.

"You really fell for it," it said before placing a rock over the entrance.

"Bastard"

Ed and Alice turned to face the creature. Both clapped their hands and placed them on the tunnel creating several walls between them and the monster. They heard one after another be broken down. Alice brought out the blades hiding in her automail. They would have to fight this thing. It broke the last wall, Ed slammed his hand on the ground, blocks of cement started to slam against the creature's body. Alice charged and sliced at the creatures face leaving it blind. It screamed and tried to reach for her with its teeth. She moved aside for Ed to land a kick breaking the bones of the creature. Alice gave a turn and dug her blade into the brain. A splash of blood bathed them both before the monster stopped moving.

"Ew!" she cried spitting some of the blood that got into her mouth

"Erick" Ed called on his phone "we got something big and dead, call for the heavy equipment to the drain entrance C-324"

"Roger" said Erick

Alice sat on one side of the tunnel and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long night. The equipment arrived and they removed the stone.

"My poor car" Alice sobbed as they sat on it still covered on blood. They went to head quarters where they all stood silent.

"What happened?" asked Ed

Alice noticed at once that Gisela was without the company of Jonny.

"Homunculi have taken Jonny hostage," said Tanya in a cold voice "they want a trade for him," she said before playing a recording machine

"_For the life of this human we want Alice Mustang to come alone and willingly follow us. Then and only then we shall let this human leave with his life intact. The meeting place shall be the basement of the old Robertson toy company, tomorrow night at 10. Don't try to fool us, we are always watching"_

"Does anyone else know about this?" asked Alice

"No" said Erick "we wanted to know what you thought"

"There isn't much to think about," said Alice with a smile "I will go"

"You really think they will just let him go?" asked Olivia

"They want something from me, right? They need me to cooperate for that and unless I get proof that he is alright, I won't cooperate," said Alice before looking at the clock on the wall. It was 2 am "Let's all go to sleep. Otherwise we won't be able to think straight"

No one opposed her. They slept on the base that night. Ed was glad they had clean clothes and a shower in there. They did not want to leave in case information arrived. Somehow, they were all able to fall sleep but Ed. He was not far from Alice. What was her real plan? He knew she would not really agree to work with the homunculi. Someone else was awake; Lee who lay next to her placed a hand on her hip and then whispered to her ear.

Ed held back his voice. How could this guy think of such thing when Jonny, their friend was in such peril? What an idiot, inconsiderate bastard.

Alice removed his hand and sat rubbing her eyes. She looked directly at Ed with a smile before standing.

"You know she is getting tired of your insistence," said Gisela sitting. She looked calm, though her Jonny was not there.

Lee glared at her and then more deeply at Ed.

"Mind your own business" Lee said before lying down again. Alice did not return.

2

Alice stood on the parking next to her car. She took a deep breath.

"Will you cooperate Alice?" female homunculi walked towards her from the shadows. Her hair was black and long almost to the ground. Her eyes were light blue and slit her body slim and tall with good curves. Alice felt kind of envious.

"Is he ok?" she asked

"So you really care? Well I guess for you to work with them it has to be like that," said the homunculi "he is ok, though maybe not for long"

"Now then?" asked Alice

"No" said the homunculi. That would be too easy. She could just sneak away and not let the others worry. They wanted her to worry about them too so she would not mess up with them. Did they not see that with her she had another great alchemist? She wondered if they knew who he was, truly. They would ask of him to work for them as well.

"Then I will see you later" she said turning around and walking back to the building. She took the elevators to the last floor. She knew that he knew. Robert Mustang had to know it all when it was about her. He was sitting on his chair finishing some papers.

"Is Jonny ok?" he asked

"Until now, he is" said Alice

"I have talked with the Armstrong siblings" he said, "They won't speak unless something happens to Jonny and you become the reason of it"

"I have never killed anyone" said Alice "no human at least" she offered a weak smile

"But you could mean his death" said Mustang, he read her cold expression "you don't want Ed to know, right?"

"I don't want anyone to know," said Alice

"You would have not said that a few years ago," said Mustang taking a drink from his mug then looking at her on the eye "just remember who you are"

"Yes sir" said Alice before leaving his office. She did not even give two steps into it. She had been too scared. Alice went back to the elevator and to the roof. She stood there looking at the sky, dark with stars turn into morning light with reds and yellows and light blue. It was lovely.

The team spread as usual for exception of Alice who remained in base.

"Drive careful" she said giving her keys to Ed.

Ed and Gisela would work together that day. She had that destructive arm, like Scar's but he was not afraid of her. He did not try to make conversation to her. It would be too awkward.

"So you and Alice are sleeping together?" she asked as Ed stopped on a red light

Awkward was too simple to explain how he felt "why do you ask such a thing?" he said with a nervous smile.

"Because she stopped harassing me," she said "and she stopped making jokes about your virginity, which I take you no longer have"

"I don't think this is the best moment to speak about such things," he said.

"I see," she said with a thoughtful look.

There was not big business that day. It was as if all Homunculi had decided to hide. Ed wondered what they wanted from Alice. It worried him a lot. Before they knew, noon had arrived. He and Alice usually sat at the park watching the sunset. Gisela preferred a small café. The waitress knew her, and gave a curious glance at Ed.

"Jonny is sick" said Gisela calmly to her "this is his cousin, Ed"

She smiled sweetly before leaving. Ed drank his coffee, and then he felt somewhat dizzy.

"There is a restroom there," said Gisela helping him reach it.

"Thanks" said Ed before she pushed him inside the restroom. He almost landed flat on his face.

"Just like Edward Elric, a metal arm and leg. This is too much of a coincidence," said a voice as his vision blurred.

"Now she won't have other option but to cooperate" Ed heard as he started to lose consciousness.

"Kill them"

"Jonny! No!" and then he heard her scream.

3

Alice stood up and walked to the communicator. She called Ed but did not receive a response. She called to his and Gisela's phone but nothing. Then her phone rang. It was Ed's!

"Yes?" she asked

"We have him" and then they hung up. Alice closed her eyes. They said they had him, which meant Ed but then what about Gisela and Jonny!

"We can only hope for the best," said Erick standing from his chair just as Olivia and Lee got back.

"I will stay and monitor the area through satellite" said Tanya "Good luck" she offered a weak smile to Alice.

"I am so dead," said Alice as Erick and Olivia walked along her sides.

"Pretty much" Olivia said.

4

Alice went into the hot zone. She remembered when this toy factory still worked. Her father had taken her here to see how some alchemy was used to make them. The other had stayed about a mile away where a group of Homunculi held guard. Alice was the only one who could go on.

:"let's hope that all of them are ok": said Tanya to Alice through her ear communicator

"For their own good and mine" said Alice before going inside. A child shaped Homunculi waited for her.

"Leave all of your weapons," it said before Alice placed her gun and other things on the table "if you use brute strength or alchemy we will kill them all"

"I understand," said Alice. She followed through what used to be the production area. They went up a few stairs before arriving to what used to be a office. Ed was tied to a chair. His automail leg and arm rested on a desk. He was gagged.

"Where are Gisela and Jonny?" she said

The little homunculi turned a switch and outside she saw them. Both of them were hurt and hanging by their arms over a large hot pot of melted plastic.

"Now you and Mr. Elric will do as we say," said the female homunculi.

"You said you wouldn't harm them," she said

"The situation has changed," said another homunculi.

Alice glared.

"Now tell us what this is," said the female homunculi passing Alice an open book. She had seen it before but couldn't remember where

"Alice don't" said Ed through the cloth before being slapped on the back of the head by the little homunculi.

It was advanced alchemy...relating to the gate and how to tap into it to do something but she could not quite grasp it.

She was given a chair to sit in and drew with her finger over the dusty desk her equations.

"That can't be right," she said with a smile finally realizing who had written the book "who gave you this?"

The male homunculi that had barely spoken said "Your brother, who else?"

"Ace" Alice saw his handwriting on the second part of the book and adding his notes to the original ones.

"He was a coward, he had been working for us after his failure with you, but then he got scared. He kept saying he wasn't capable of performing such thing," said the little homunculi.

"And then surprise, he disappears into the gate. I guess he wasn't really capable but later see what we find," said the female homunculi walking behind Ed and embracing him from the neck "he is a perfect look a like" she said "and appeared the same day your brother disappeared. Now that got us thinking"

"I see what you are saying and I would say, its absurd" said Alice calmly "he is an Elric and he carries genes of the younger brother. It happens that he looks like him, reason for which he was given that name. The arm and leg were lost in a farming accident"

"You guys keep saying the same thing to everyone but we know almost every secret of this country. You can't trick us," said the male homunculi

"You two will continue where he left," said the female homunculi "you will open a portal in the gate to the past"

Ed started laugh and so did Alice. Ed was smacked on the back of the head again. Alice became quiet as she closed the book.

"That is not possible," she said "wouldn't you prefer that I turn you into humans or give you more skills?"

"Like you humans say; there is strength in numbers," said the male homunculi.

Neither alchemist got what he said. They were only three of them. The kid started to laugh. It meant trouble.

"We shall leave this area; your companions may come in later and free those two. Though I doubt the girl deserves it," said the woman "humans, why would we want to be like them?"


	11. Along the Way

Distance 11: Along the way

They took them into the back of a truck and drove on. Alice sat next to Ed. she leaned her head on his shoulder. They took her arms away.

"This sucks," she said tired. They had been riding for about a day and no food. They had taken her communicator but she was glad that at least Gisela and Jonny were ok. Ed could not dare to tell her how Gisela had tricked him. He knew they were good friends. His lips were dry. He wondered if they were around the desert.

"Are you sure it was your brother?" he asked her. He had been show the book as well but it never occurred to him it had to do with Alice's brother.

"The symbol on the floor of when he disappeared is very similar to that of book" she said "and I know his handwriting since I was little"

"Who wrote the beginning of it?" he asked her

"I don't know," she said but she felt like she did know. She wanted to shake her head. It was impossible. She looked at her leg, pale and white like paper compared to Ed's color that was more pinkish.  
"Stop whispering you two" said the little homunculi who was riding with them.

Alice and Ed knew him; well he was very like a boy that disappeared a few weeks ago with his mother. Alice stretched her tied legs.

"How are you doing?" she asked him, she was beginning to feel some pain from having her automail detached.

"Alright for the moment" he said before she sighed. From the corner of his eye, he looked at her close her eyes. He was also tired. Hopefully things would be calm for a while.

When Alice woke up, she was laying on Ed's lap. The truck was coming to a stop. Alice did her best to pull herself sit.

"Time to get going" said the small homunculi as he opened the backdoor.

"Ed" she nudged his leg with her own. They were pulled out into the a group of desert ruins.

"Old Ishbal" Alice knew this was an area protected for the descendants of Ishbal. It was seen as sacred land! How dare they bring them there?

"You better not try anything" they gave Ed his leg back. He cringed when he reconnected it. They untied Alice's legs

"ASSHOLES!" She kicked the small homunculi on the face

"Ha!" Alice had bitten into Ed's arm rope and weakened it enough for him to brake.

"What are you idiots think you are doing," said the small homunculi with a footprint on his face.

Both Alchemists smiled before they took off running into the desert.

"That's interesting," said the female homunculi seeing their sand cloud.

"They are truly out of the ordinary" said the male homunculi "but still won't be able to get too far"

Alice and Ed ran and ran. Ed had to keep pushing Alice into balance.

"We should have tried to get our arms back," she said as the night reached them. They sat around a group of rock but neither had enough arms to build a fire. Ed had one and they had to share it.

"Please!" cried Alice before Ed sighed and scratched her back. Alice sighed before laying her head on his lap again

"We rest and tomorrow we shall continue, hopefully the guys will be able to find us," said Ed passing his hand trough her hair

"We should be careful, the enemy might also find us," said Alice.

"Alice, I want to ask you something," said Ed

"Ask," she said with closed eyes.

"What do you feel for me?" he asked before she left his lap. He felt as if someone was taking his heart. She looked at him and gave a soft smile.

"You are my best friend," she said before Ed felt that this was not the answer he wanted. He graved her shirt and pulled her into a kiss "Ed..." she was laying on the sand. He was at top of her. His only hand feeling everything it could.

"I want you," he whispered to her ear.

"This might not be the best time for that," she said not being able to do anything to stop him "please Ed, stop" but he did not. He ripped open her shirt and pulled down her bra. Alice closed her eyes. It was wonderful when he got this passionate but truly, it was not the best moment for that. His eyes roamed her panting body. She was defenseless and she had not given him the answer he wanted.

1

The next morning Ed woke up to see, Alice pull her clothes as best as she could. Ed stood behind her and helped her with buttons and straps.

"Idiot, we are still tired and we have to keep moving," said Alice standing. Ed just smiled before they started moving.

Not far from there the Homunculi stood.

"But I thought we could not..." the smaller homunculi checked under his pants "there's nothing there"

"She is not like us," said the male homunculi "but she isn't human as well"

"Then what is she?" asked the female homunculi.

"The answer is in the book, but we need someone smart enough to clear it," said the male homunculi "let's report it to brother" he said before they saw an helicopter landing close to the two Alchemists.

"She sure acts human enough" said the small homunculi.

2

After being found by the helicopter both Ed and Alice were taken to the doctor.

"I want arms and a bath," she said before the doctor could even touch her.

"Of course m'am" said the doctor before calling a nurse to guide Alice to a shower.

Ed received a full checkup before Walter came in.

"Nothing to work with for your new arm, I see" said Walter with a calm smile.

"You should see Alice," said Ed.

Walter sighed before asking to have the room until they were done.

"Not a problem at all Dr. Elric" said the doctor "I will be seeing to Lady Mustang and send her to you as soon as possible"

"Thanks" said Walter "I am going to give you guys new things, but let's wait for Alice so she can hear as well" he started to work

"How is Gisela and Jonny?" asked Alice once she was back

"They are resting for now, nothing serious really" said Walter. He made a few calls and every now and then, someone would bring him more components for the new arms.

"I am so glad," she said with a smile.

"You guys did the best you could," said Walter and after an hour or two, he was done with Ed.

"Let's see" Walter held the arm apart from Ed "move your hand"

"But" Ed did not have it connected but then he saw the fingers move.

"this one has a battery, pretty handy too" he laughed at his own joke "you can move it from far, now think of stretching this finger" Ed did so before a small camera opened at the end "it will start recording if you think of stretching" Walter showed him where to get the memory "now for this new arm, I will ask you to not transmute it at all. It still has a hidden blade, a new radio, and radar in case you guys get kidnapped again. I will work on a new leg for you, stronger so you rely on it more to fight"

"Thanks" said Ed as he connected his new arm.

"I will do the same for you Alice. One arm for gadgets, the other one to fight" said Walter.

"I am looking forwards to it," said Alice before she lay on her bed. She closed her eyes as Walter worked on their limbs.

3

Gisela was looking out the window as Jonny slept on the bed next to her. They had survived, but what had she done! She considered jumping...but she knew Ed was a good person considering what he had done in the past.

"Hello!" said Alice coming in with Ed and the rest of the team.

"Hi" she said softly

"I am glad both of you are ok" said Alice with a sincere smile. Ed remained as if nothing next to her.

"You guys will get one week off after you get out of the hospital, what luck," said Lee sitting on a chair next to his cousin. Irene, Jonny's sister sat next to him and gave a calm sigh.

They were all happy that both had made it. Ed sat on a chair on the corner, saying that he was still getting use to his new limbs. When they left, Jonny woke up or so he made them think.

"He is a good guy" he said before Gisela laid next to him with unshed tears "we all make mistakes" he said with a soft smile.

"But..." then she cried.

4

Alice took a deep breath before going into her father's office.

"Glad to know everyone is well" said Robert with a smile. Alice did not move from the entrance "but come in and sit"

Alice did as he asked, "You asked William to place a tracker on me. Why?"

"I can't risk losing my only daughter, why else?" he said with a soft smile before Alice grinned

"I guess you are right!" she said "thanks for caring for me father"

"Before continuing with this talk, I must know what you found out" he said with a calm expression.

"But this talk involves what I found" said Alice "it involves Ace as well and me asking you to let me see something to make clear my suspicions"

"Then speak" said Robert impatient

"The homunculi showed me a book, over the already written notes I found notes by Ace, and I believe he was allied to them for sometime," she said before receiving a nod to continue, "We were hinted that there is a large number of homunculi working together. As for I require, is to see my mother's hand writing" said Alice

"I burned all of her notes," said Robert

"I know you must have kept something, you loved her after all" said Alice.

"Don't be so sure after what she did to you," said her father before Alice looked to the side. She heard him open a drawer, he handed her a piece of paper. She looked over some basic alchemy notes her mother had written.

"That was her book," she said handing it back. Ace must have sneaked it out before you could destroy it" Alice could not see her father's expression. He had tried to hard to help Ace adjust to society and be a good man. All that effort for nothing. He had been working with the homunculi and continued that forbidden research.

"Please leave and don't get in trouble"

5

Erick Armstrong went to his family's home. He met his sister on the attic. She was sitting on a chair by a light looking at a photo album.

"You found it?" he asked her.

"Yes" she said passing the photo album to her.

_Flashback_

_It was a party at the Mustang house. Olivia and her brother back then got along just well. They played hide and seek on the large mansion. Erick was on one of the highest floors. He saw Lady Laura Mustang leave a room and he thought it adequate to hide in. He went in to meet a coughing mess. The little girl looked at him with teary eyes. She was ill. _

"_You should not be here," she said with a soft voice. _

"_Sorry" he said walking towards her "you are Alice, right?" he had heard of the severely seek Alice Mustang. People said she would not live beyond being ten years old. _

_She smiled and even through her ill appearance, he could see a good little girl. _

"_Erick!" Olivia came in to find him sitting and laughing with Alice. Still she found herself joining the conversation. They laughed and Alice's eyes gained more life. _

_End of flashback_

Olivia had taken advantage then and taken a picture of Alice and him. It was the only evidence they had. The Alice with who they worked was not the original Alice. Erick remembered the next time he saw her. Her hair, her eyes, her body structure had changed. She did not even remember them.

"Edward has to know," said Olivia "I don't see any intent of her to let him go"

"I fear it might be the other way around," said Erick still missing that girl of long curly dark hair and dark blue eyes.


	12. A Sad Truth

Chapter 12: A Sad Truth

Alice sat on her desk at the station looking through old newspapers over the computer. She found the one involving her mother's death. It was a headliner of course, anything that had to do with the historical families of Amestris was. It did not tell anything that would serve her

"_Laura Mustang, wife to Commander Robert Mustang has been found dead in the basement of their large mansion. There are unconfirmed informs that she suffered of chemical poisoning as she intended to bring health back to her daughter, Alice Mustang. Commander Mustang has claimed that it had nothing to do with that, that Alice had just gained her health thanks to her mother's care and that the research done on the basement was part of her own research assigned to her by the state. According to house witness, Alice came down stairs looking for her mother. She was told that she was in the basement working. Young Alice went ahead to look for her mother and was the one to find her. The state of the body is said to be very bad"_

Alice closed her eyes. She remembered that, but for how long. Just how long was her mother down there? Did anyone care to think of that? Did they not suspect of her father taking her upstairs after finding them and then letting things run as people would see it with suspicion but not believing Alice was a survivor of human alchemy.

"Its not that I don't trust you Alice, but you are suspicious" said Olivia standing behind her. They were the only ones there.

"All this time I thought I had all of you fooled, but I was the one being deceived. You, your brother, and father always have kept an eye on me," said Alice rotation her chair to face her "not that I mind. If I was to be capture or killed I know one of you would come to my rescue"

"Do you really think your brother was working with them? To give them your mother's notes just like that" Olivia had known Ace through his best and worst and she knew he was not capable of doing that.

"I don't know and to be sincere I don't care. The problem is now ours and we have to do our best to solve it," she said with a determination Olivia had not heard her use for some time.

"You are starting to get over him, just like with Jonny and Lee," said Olivia with a smug smile.

"There is nothing to get over with from my part but as all Elrics he puts his heart first without even noticing!" Alice rolled her eyes on annoyance.

1

Ed wondered what was wrong with Alice. She had not gone see him in more than a week and kept even later on the office. He could not sleep. At first, he had thought it was a punishment for what he did to her on the desert. Well he thought they might die so he took the best advantage. However, so long, it has been. Jonny and Gisela were back and everything ran smoothly. The search for those three homunculi had been given to other teams. He heard the door down stairs open and close. She was back. He heard her every step. She passed his door without stopping and went into hers. He had enough. He sat and only wearing boxers and a plain white shirt went to knock softly on her door. He did not want to wake up the others. He received no answer. He tried the knob but found the door locked.

"We have to talk," he said knowing well she could hear him. There was no response and he was tempted to break in when she opened the door just a crack.

"I am tired, what you want?" she had dark rings under her eyes

"Talk" he said

"Tomorrow" she said closing the door and not even saying good night.

Ed stood there for a few seconds. He felt as a kicked dog by his owner. He went to bed thinking why she was acting like that. He had never had to face a problem such as this. Was it for what the homunculi showed her, could her brother really have worked with them? He sat up fast, a smile across his face. He had been wondering how it was her brother capable of linking him to this time. It could be that answer to his return was on that book! He had been so deep in thought about the intimate part of his life that he had forgotten completely about his true purpose. He sat fast and went to his desk before bringing his notes out. He thought deep about what he had seen on that book. It was complicated alchemy; he looked out the window. There had to be someone else working on this kind of research and he was sure she was just some doors away from him. He detached his arm and placed it outside on the widow rail. It was a straight path to her window. He touched the nape of his head and felt the small bump of the chip that Walter had installed later on him. He activated the camera and closed his eyes. He controlled every movement the arm made as it approached the target.

Her window was open. He knew she liked to look at the night sky. He was careful going in. Alice was in the shower. It was a perfect chance. He started to record as soon as he arrived to her desk. There was an open notebook.

_Date 11/09/09_

_I feel bad for what I must do but I would feel worst if I told Ed the truth. He would never forgive me if we continued this and did not. He will thank me someday when the truth gets out. No man should fall in love with me. I was foolish to think that if I was able to leave Jonny and Lee that no man would truly desire me as a life partner. What am I thinking? To Ed I must only be a sex partner...thought I saw this at first I fear I have grown too attached. If there is a God, and if that God cares about my existence, or Ed's sanity he will make sure Ed feels nothing for me but carnal need that he will fulfill by getting a new bed partner. _

'This is not what I was looking for' he thought frustrated at how even in her writing she would not reveal anything! He was about to open one of her drawers when he heard the door of the bathroom open. The arm jumped to the ground and hid under her bed. He watched as she walked barefoot to her desk and placed her diary on a drawer, which she locked. 'It could be there' he watched her place the key on the short's pocket. It would be no way he could get it...for now. He heard her yawn and watched her stretch before going to bed. He had to wait a while before being able to sneak back.

Ed tried to get some sleep but he had to know what Alice didn't want him to know about her. For sometime, he had believed she had always been honest with him.

2

Days passed and he could still not find the right moment to ask her. She acted as she normally did, even when they slept together she always kept a professional posture when working. In that particular day, they were watching after a high status family that had received threats of an Alchemist, which they had been founding. The Alchemist went missing after one of his experiments went wrong. It was now a few weeks later that they received a threatening note about killing each one of them, and to make it even more dramatic it had been written in fake blood.

"This so old fashion" said Alice as they stood guard around the garden. She touched a little angel spitting water into a fountain "I guess that doesn't bother you" she teased

"I don't think anything is happening," said Ed. The fake blood only had helped to freak the family out but to them it felt more like a prank.

"Probably" said Alice. They had made received a report on the research of the site; there was no sign of survival possible.

Still the team stood around all night, later to learn that it had been the daughter of the alchemist who had sent the letter. She could not find the courage to do as she promised so she turned herself in.

"Such a relief!" said a lady of the mansion.

Alice had an instant dislike for the woman and her family. The accident would not have happen if they had taken the time to assure the safety of the lab, and some kind of compensation for the daughter.

"It's been a hard night, would you like to join us for a celebration breakfast" said the young son of the mansion.

The group accepted because of keeping image. They knew this family also donates to the alchemy department of the academies where they sent their children.

"I have something to look into," said Alice turning around, she had enough status, she donated to the schools, she even took some of her days off to give lectures. She did not care about these people.

"I will go with her, we are partners after all" said Ed before following.

'They leave us to face these pompous asses, how unfair' they thought.

Ed wondered what Alice had planned. She went straight to her father's office where a young woman sat facing him, with tears running down her face.

"Ah, Alice, I knew you would come," said Robert.

Alice said nothing as she approached the young woman. She had read about her father's research. It was to clear away a difficult kind of cancerous cells. The girl had such.

"If you let me, if you let us, our family will put you through Alchemic Academy and let you into the same kind of research your father was making, starting from where he left"

"Thank you" said the girl between sobs before embracing Alice, but Alice did not embrace her back. Ed noted a kind of emptiness he had never seen on her.

As they went home to get some well-deserved sleep, Alice stopped the car on a side. She did not get out, a few minutes passed before she glared at Ed.

"We can't continue, our night relation, its not adequate," she said

"Why not" he had a demanding tone to know, he wanted to truth.

"It's not adequate for our job, we are in a dangerous position, and that kind of attachment had already gotten us in trouble," she said but she had the feeling there were plenty of homunculi who knew of Ed's real origins. They knew he was as skilled as she was but she needed an excuse.

"You would have gone the same if it had been other of the team" he said with a smug smile "tell me really why"

Alice smiled the same way "I didn't want to hurt you, but I guess you asked for it. I am tired...no, I am bored of you"

Ed started to laugh, he knew it was a lie and he could not take it. She was lying straight to his face. He graved her by her jacked and pulled her to him until they were eye to eye "I know you are hiding something. I heard you talk to Erick, you keep saying you do not want to hurt me, same reason you have pushed others away from you. Now speak the truth before I fuck it out of you" and he would, he kept telling himself. Her full lips were parted, her skin a shade paler, her eyes lost with a feeling he had never seen 'fear.' she feared him, she did not want him to know.

"I am sterile," she said looking at him straight on the eyes "I am not capable of taking my father's place because I can't produce off springs. Charlie is a better choice and since he is my father's only son left, he should not get too involved on Homunculi hunting. If word got out of this, there would be a lot of talk of how come I am like this. There would be talk about the defects of my family and they might even blame my mother making the research in the Alchemic field harder to sustain. It's not fair for a man to fall in love with a woman that can't be a whole woman and give him a child"

"Alice" but she pulled away from him and left the car just as rain started to fall. She ran away from him, Ed sat there not knowing what to say. He held his head with his flesh hand and did something he had not done in a long time; cry.


	13. Plans for the Future

Chapter 13: Plans for the Future

He walked back. Ed did not think he was capable of driving. His head hung down as he walked under the rain. How could he have thought that this secret did not hurt her as well? He could picture her smiling face, and imagine her age with no children of her own. The rain was perfect to hide his tears. He never thought she could hide such pain. He knew, she had told him her mother had used an alchemic procedure to save her life, how did she not know that was the reason she was unfertile? Maybe she did not want to blame the mother who had given her life for her. He could not go in once he reached their place. The others would be there by now and what was he going to tell them. He couldn't face them, especially Erick who had know even before him... was that why he did not approach her like most guys did? He wanted something to hit, it was unfair! She had gone through hell serving the people, how could life be so unfair! He picked up his pace and ran back through where he came until he reached the park where he and Alice usually took their lunch. She was sitting on a bench, looking up at the sky with tearful eyes.

"I was told this when I was very small, I had a really high fever because of my illness and that messed me up. It happens more often than you think, you just don't hear it as much. Bad luck I guess"

"We could always adopt" said Ed before realizing what he said "I mean you and I and a child..." but Alice's eyes were empty. She wanted to have a child of her own, from her flesh and blood.

"I will hand command of the Heavy Metal team to someone else. I knew it was a bad idea to come back. Charlie is the right one to take over the family" said Alice before feeling Ed's fearful embrace.

"I am here because I choose to listen to you and your crazy ideas about fighting homunculi. You can't just leave like that" he said, wanted them to be side by side.

"How can you say that when it has been you the one planning to escape this whole time" said Alice against his chest "even though you were told it could destroy this world you still try?"

Ed buried his head on her dark hair and took a deep breath "When I find the way, I will take you with me, and then you wouldn't have to worry about your family anymore"

"I love my family," she said against his chest.

"But you also love me, right?" he asked, his body was shaking with cold and fear of her answer.

"I can't love you," she said and for the first time Ed noticed how small, even for a woman she was. It was as if she was trying to make herself smaller until no one could see her.

"I love you, and I will continue to love you even when you don't want me to, even if it kills me and you I will continue," he said before listening to her sobs. How he wished he could stop loving her, it was tearing them apart. He took off his jacket and placed it at top of her head before walking them to the closest place they could stay.

"You didn't have this planned, did you?" he asked as she walked into the motel.

"I want to try something" she said in a soft voice.

Ed took off his wet clothes; she did the same in the restroom. He sat on the bed, thinking about what he would do with his life from now on. The thoughts left when he saw her come out with only a towel around her. She stood in front of him before she pushed him down. Her face had a cold expression instead of the usual playful one.

"Just how much do you think you can love me, after knowing?" she whispered on his ear.

His breath was caught on his throat as she threw away the towel before she impaled herself with him. She simply closed her eyes and stretched her body before rocking her body. Ed closed his eyes, his started to breathe heavily as she went harder and harder. He wasn't sure where he ended and she started. He placed his flesh hand on her hip and used the prosthetic to lift his body some. He started to move at her rhythm. He could only hear thunder and her deep gasps every time he went in, filling every inch, touching every nerve that made her whole body want to twitch. He wanted more.

Alice gasped as Ed picked her up and placed her on fours on the bed. She felt his arms spread her legs before inserting a cold metal finger.

"Ah" she cried as other finger made circles with her clit. Ed never used that hand to please, or tease her. Her body shook because they didn't feel like fingers, but hard play things. Ed took chance as she went through her first orgasm and went inside. The feeling of her clutching at him made him lose control. He pushed her upper body down to the bed before using his other hand to rub her behind.

"Stay like that" he said before grasping her hips and trusting them against him. Alice cried as she felt him push against something so very sensitive. Her whole body shook as he almost left, and then go back in with force she had never felt him use. She buried her face on the mattress to muffle her screams, but she could still hear his. He did not pant like others she knew. He screamed with such pleasure. He placed his whole self into her with every forward movement. Her whole body shivered as she heard him. He leaned at top of her like a real dog. She loved the feeling of his hair against her back and the touch of his hands on her breasts. He played with the nipples almost driving her crazy. She wanted his mouth there, biting, licking, and sucking.

"Ah" he stopped suddenly, she felt his body spam at top of hers before he started a frantic buckling.

"Ed!" she felt full to the limit and more! He was breaking her in two or more pieces. The pleasure and the pain mixed together with his passionate screams and his forceful entry. He collapsed at top of her. He was trying to get his breath back "that was better than usual" she said with a smile as he got off her. She watched as his erection got back up 'damn' she thought wondering when she would be getting some sleep.

Ed sucked her breasts; he couldn't get enough of them, or her cries. His tongue circled them, his fingers testing their elasticity until she cried for him to stop. He kissed her body until reaching her navel. His fingers were busy with her folds. She buckled and wiggled under him, begging for more.

He stood back from the bed. She watched him with hungry eyes before crawling to him. As soon as her lips encircle him, he took her by force by the hair and drove himself inside her mouth fully. He pulled back and shoved his dick into her throat faster than before. Alice did not complain as he took over her and used her. She loved it when he was so bold. Tears slipping from her eyes but he didn't stop. He was in high ecstasy when she finally pulled away. He watched her stand and lay on the bed with legs spread for him.

Ed looked at her with the same cold eyes she used against him. She slipped her fingers inside for him to see just how much more she wanted. He started to rub his aching member. He needed to this so much more that she could think. Alice could only hear the slapping and raw feeling of their skin every time they made contact.

"I love you" he stopped a moment, their hearts beating at the same pace

"I want to love you" she said before he started moving again. Alice continued to hear to his pants and cries like a melody. She went through another orgasm; his face was filled with bliss, before she passed out. She wanted to make him happy and she would within her possibilities, still she wanted to give him a child, she really wanted.

1

Ed woke up to realize it was the next day already. They had to get home and get ready for work. He heard the shower, and sat with the sheet around his waist. The room was a mess. He quickly dug into his pants and placed some extra money on the nightstand.

'What a night' he thought collecting his clothes.

"We have to hurry," said Alice coming out bathed and dressed.

"I know," he said running in

When they made it home, the others were on their way out.

"And here we thought you were no coming back" said Gisela with a sigh

"Your father called, he wants to talk to you right away" said Jonny, they had thought of an excuse but Commissioner Mustang had placed a tracer on Alice's arm. He knew where she was and with who.

Lee passed the four of them, not forgetting to brush his shoulder with Ed's.

"Excuse Me," said Tanya trying to catch up with the ill humored Elric.

Erick Armstrong was gone already. neither Ed or Alice wanted to face him. Ed wondered how he viewed them.

2

"Are you sure?" Ed asked her as they waited for the elevator.

"He only wants to talk to me," said Alice ready to face whatever her father had stored for her.

Ed did not go into the elevator, but offered her a smile, which she returned.

Alice went into her father's office.

"Sister!" she was hugged by Charlie "are you okay?" he asked her worried

"Yes, why shouldn't I be?" she asked

"We called you last night, your phone was off" said her father behind his desk with a calm smile.

"I needed some time alone" said Alice "to think and stuff"

"Charlie, why don't you go downstairs, we will catch up soon," said Robert Mustang with a fatherly smile.

"Yes" Charlie said before leaving.

"What were you doing last night Alice, because you weren't alone" said Robert standing and walking towards her.

"I was with Edward Elric," she said not losing face.

"Doing what?" he asked, and she could see a tint of red on his face. She knew it was not because of embarrassment.

"I slept with him," she said still not losing face.

"You are the leader of a team; you can't sleep with the members. You are an example to the community. Edward does not know all the truth about you. It is unfair for you to keep him" he gave her more than one reason.

"I tried lying to him, he still followed me" said Alice

"And you couldn't decline?" asked Rob looking down on her.

"I just couldn't" said Alice with a frown

"Why not?" asked Rob in an angry tone

"I think I care for him," she said

"So you said for Jonny, and Lee and others and it wasn't so difficult for you to leave them"

"I really, really care for him, father," she said closing her eyes tight 'I love him but you wouldn't believe me'

Alice shivered as she felt the touch of his hand on her cheek "you sound like a little girl" then he walked away "come, your brother will be starting here next month and I want you to teach him some moves"

Alice opened her eyes and followed. She knew what was coming. Ed was waiting down on the lobby when they came out.

"Mr. Elric, you can have the day off" said Robert as they passed him by. Alice offered him a smile, but it was a weak one.


	14. The Real Alice

NL: I submitted all the chapters I got done for this. It depends upon you if it continues. No reviews, then I got not idea if it is worth continuing. I will be truly sincere now: I don't like Winry. I don't know why but I just don't. I don't hate her, I just don't like her next to Ed. She belongs with Al, but that's just my opinion. I got this whole plot for the next chapters already done but I have to know if it is truly worth continuing. I will be waiting for your comments.

I don't own FMA

Chapter 14: The Real Alice

Alice arrived late at night; she looked exhausted and half-broken. Ed could smell something burned.

"A training session with my father and Charlie" said Alice with a weak smile.

"For fourteen hours?" he asked

Alice sighed, "Charlie collapsed at the ten hours, then father said he wanted to check if I was still in shape," she did not protest when Ed picked her up like a bride. They were glad the rest were sleeping. Ed took her to her room, laid her down, and covered her with blankets. He lay next to her and held her. They fell sleep. They completely forgot about the ball the next night. Ed kept her in bed all of their day off. He laid next to her, embraced her, and kissed her trying to make her feel better.

The next day after that started with an explosion. Alice and Ed were at the window watching a great light emerge from the center of the city. They recognized the light of a transmutation anywhere but the size...they heard a great alarm. Both jumped and ran to get dressed and ready. Alice pocketed two guns and a lot of ammo. She had lost all her exhaustion. in less than three minutes everyone was downstairs dresses and ready.

"We do not know what is happening, but it's serious," said Alice with a commanding tone; she was at charge "Erick tries to find out what happened with our contacts. Tanya search for a satellite image and keep us informed of anything you find" both information wizards left to do as they were told without a word "Lee, check with Olivia and search the surrounding areas of the targeted spot for anything suspicious" he ran out of the door at once "Jonny, Gisela, Ed, we will go into the target and help as much as we can" they left at once. Alice cursed when she saw people filled the streets trying to get away from the hotspot as fast as they could. They could not drive.

"Let's go!" Ed started to run first. The others followed, but it was so far! When they got to a desolated area, they took on some abandoned bikes.

"Dammit!" Alice evaluated their time, only a few more minutes and they would be there.

"Jonny?" Gisela stopped and so did the rest. Jonny was gone. They dismounted the bikes at once. Alice and Ed drew out the blades from their arms; Gisela prepared her arm of destruction.

"Kaa!" Jonny flew out of a window holding to a long metal pipe that he swung at a figure jumping after him. The Homunculi fell to the ground and Jonny landed safe close to the others. The Homunculi stood its skin black, shiny and smooth. It was male looking. Two black bats like wings opened behind him.

"Its fast" was all Jonny could say before the homunculi tried to hit him on the left side but Jonny used the long pipe to block. Gisela ran with her arm ready. The homunculi got out of the way in a blink. Then it saw them smile before looking down at the end of a sword coming out of its body.

"Go on with your part" said Olivia before slashing at the homunculi.

"Bye, bye" Lee placed a transmutation circle on it and made it evaporate.

"Keep the good work," said Alice before they continued. They arrived to the center of the city. The gigantic transmutation circle still shone, all inside it looked like a blur, and when trying to pass it they were push back.

"It messes with the density," said Ed before clapping his hands and placing them on the heavy air. It rippled like water before an opening was created. They went inside. A battlefield welcomed them. The bodies of alchemists and remains of homunculi were scattered.

"This can't be good," said Jonny finishing to draw a circle on his lucky pipe before transmuting it into a better shape, with a pointy end. It was a perfect model from throwing and piercing.

They saw explosions close to where the Alchemists command center was.

"You two look for any survivors and injured," said Alice to Jonny and Gisela. Ed and she raced towards the building. They met with the back of an army of homunculi, that was facing a large group of alchemists and other fighters protecting the entrance to the building. Alice spotted her father on the front with his white gloves ready to give away his wrinkled fingers. Not far, behind him, Charlie stood with a cut or two but his fingers looked more ready than their father's did. Ed and Alice slid between the homunculi and started the slaughter.

"What a!" from the point of view of Robert Mustang, a small tornado was taking the homunculi out.

"Attack!" Charlie snapped at both hands several times creating pillars of air fire surrounding the homunculi. They charged with a new air of hope when they spotted Alice and Ed. Soon the large circle fell and enlisted that had stayed away from the command center entered into action. The fight lasted hours and there were losses but soon there were no more homunculi to be fought.

Ambulances that had stay at safe distance entered into action, helping all they could. They had been receiving plenty of injured before but those who were still in the battlefield were still more.

"That was close" Alice laughed before hearing a heart breaking sound. She turned around to see a homunculi that had hidden on the ground pierce Ed's stomach "No" Alice ran to him and Ed lost consciousness.

1

Edward woke up in a hospital bed. His whole body was numb. He had to guess he was heavily drug for the pain to not overtake him. His middle body was bandaged but there was still blood getting out. He was connected to plenty of machines. He could not stand it.

"There has to be a way!" he heard Alice shout just outside his barely open door.

"I am sorry ma'm. Not even medical Alchemy from Xing can save him" said the doctor before Ed closed his eyes. He was going to die.

He woke up later at the gentle and cold touch on his shoulder.

"Ed, still on earth?" he looked at Alice's smiling face.

"What you think?" he croaked out.

"I need you to close your eyes for a few minutes," she said with a smile before placing a kiss on his lips. Ed did as she asked, but kept a single view line to know what she was planning. His eyes widened when he saw her dark hair turn white, and her pupils, skin, lips, all of her turned white! "You are so stubborn," she said in a gentle voice before brining out a blond braid. The very same hair she cut from him almost a year ago! She placed it over his wound before clapping her hands.

"Alice" he trusted her but he had to know what was going on.

"I am not human Ed, I am not a homunculi or Chimera either," she said placing her hands on his wound.

Ed closed his eyes as pain shot through him. Her lips were on his as the pain grew and then started to descend. She tasted the same.

When he opened his eyes, he touched his stomach. The wound was gone and so was Alice. He sat and looked at the open window.

"What has she done?" Robert Mustang said from the door.

"What...what could you possible mean?" said Ed a bit shaky. Without doubt, Alice had performed a human based transmutation, the greatest taboo, and most strictly punished crime.

Robert closed the door behind him and leaned to face Edward "You think I don't know that she isn't human. She has not been since she was five years old. That thing promised me to bring back my daughter but until now has only taken over her life. The most important rule that I gave her to continue being alive was to not use those abilities, now she has to be eliminated"

"You think I will let you!" shouted Ed "You are the one who probably gave her the idea that she isn't human. She might be human!" he wanted her to be human. She could not be something else. She was kind, strong, and smart.

"Don't count on it," he said before leaving.

Ed laid back; he was exhausted and wanted to sleep. When he woke up he was in a wheel chair and taken out the hospital through the backdoor.

"I don't know what happened but you can act as if you didn't know what happened," said Lee taking him to his car "Alice turned her resignation letter early this morning and left. To where, no one knows"

"I see," said Ed

"Mustang has nothing on her, unless you decide to speak"

"I won't" said Ed

"Good, she is a free agent now but won't be trusted for a long time," said Lee

"You still care for her?" Ed asked

"Like Jonny cares for her, as a sister" said Lee with a smile.

Ed spent three weeks on bed. Olivia took over Alice team. He thought about what she told him. Therefore, this was the real deal. She was not sure as of what she was. Well she could perform alchemy like a human who had seen the gate could. In addition, before that she had been able to use alchemy as regular people. Now he had to guess that ability emerged from when her mother cured her, as Mustang said. She had been like this since she was five years old.

Alice had told to him that she could not remember much before her mother cured her. However, he knew whom to ask.

"Hey" said Ed entering Erick's room.

"Ah, I thought you would never come," said Erick with a smile before handing Ed some photographs. A sick looking girl with blue eyes and dark wavy hair smiled to the camera. The face, eyes, hair was different, but the smile remained the same. It was Alice.

"We don't know what she is but my sister and I won't take chances on letting her take over the command center," said Erick in a serious voice.

"Good because she didn't really want the position" said Ed with a smile that Erick returned it "So you won't turn in that evidence?"

"Nope" said Erick "whoever she was, she wasn't that bad if she sacrificed her lifestyle to save you. She really does care about you so I have to wonder. She might actually be human"

"You know where she went?" he asked.

"No idea" said Erick "probably just hiding until things settle down.

"I guess then I will just wait as well," said Ed. the next day he was back on duty. He would keep a close eye on Mustang. He would not hurt Alice!

1

"My mother?" asked Charlie after he was introduced into their team

"Alice's mother" said Ed. he knew they had different mothers.

"Oh" said Charlie a bit shy "well she and my mother used to be friends for what Alice told me. My mom used to be Alice's teacher when she was sick and after. I heard that no one ever saw Alice when she was sick for exception of her mother, my mother and father"

"Why is that?" asked Ed. He had to wonder how Erick and Olivia got those pictures.

"She was very delicate," said Charlie "she couldn't go outside without even catching a cold. You know, I have never asked father because hearing the topic along makes him upset, but I wonder what kind of method her mother used to save her"

Ed looked around the room of the team. They were nine members now. Charlie and Irene had joined the fighting force. Because of the attack, researchers and even some teachers were being called to fill the positions. It was a delicate time. The homunculi after losing so many would try to induce humans to make more and that might take to threats. Gisela was called to many schools to show her arm of destruction and punishment for alchemists who misused their knowledge.


End file.
